


Hell Song

by Sana109



Category: Hellsing, Hellsing Ultimate
Genre: Animal Noises, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Blindfolds, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Canon Compliant, Canon Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Child Abandonment, Childhood Trauma, Classical Music, Dubious Morality, F/F, F/M, Fire, Flashbacks, Gen, Graphic Description, Hellsing Ultimate OVA, Historical References, Human Experimentation, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Imprinting, Isolation, Latin, Major Character Injury, Minor Canonical Character(s), Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Multi, Multilingual Character, Nicknames, Nightmares, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Consensual Touching, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Partially Mute Character, Past Child Abuse, Past Relationship(s), Platonic Relationships, Plot Twists, Psychic Abilities, Psychological Trauma, Pyrophobia, Reincarnation, Rewrite, Romance (if you squint), Science Fiction & Fantasy, Something Made Them Do It, Strong Female Characters, Telepathy, Thriller, Undead, Unethical Experimentation, Vampires, Violence, blood everywhere, coffins, vampire shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-08-01 07:11:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 20,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16280012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sana109/pseuds/Sana109
Summary: The Hellsing Organization. Home of the infamous King of Vampires. The night is young and creatures of all kinds have begun to stir. One in particular catches his attention on a mission to an abandoned asylum. Who is this girl that resembles his former brides that sings a lost song in the depths of the darkest night?





	1. I: Lost

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite of a long time project I’ve been working on for several years. The original text can be found here: https://www.quotev.com/story/6022387/Hell-Song/1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So begins this darkened tale.

As he made his way through the building, he thought over the strangeness of his current objective. Why, of all places, would a vampire choose an abandoned mental asylum to send their ghouls? It’s not that he minded, per-say, it simply struck him as odd. He dealt with the lifeless husks that groaned and shambled about – a quick shot to the head was all it took to dispatch them after all – and continued deeper into the forgotten depths. He passed by several empty rooms filled with decayed corpses, no longer recognizable as once human, and he could not be certain if they had been here before the vampire approached or if they had come with. 

He took a moments pause when he heard something that sounded much like a heartbeat, albeit the rhythmic thumping was much slower than it should be, if it did in fact belong to a human. So there did indeed seem to be some creature alive within the massive complex. Perhaps that is what this low ranked vampire came for. 

He made his way down a large set of stairs, down to the lower levels that used house the more... extreme patients. As expected, there were fewer open cells on this level and those that had been wrenched open were empty save for a rat or two. Very few remnants of ghouls were scattered about, meaning the ghouls he had disposed of on the upper floors were likely meant to prevent intruders. 

Alucard sniffed the air, the faint smell of fresh blood catching his attention. Following the scent, he could hear the faint sounds of someone... singing? Yes, it was singing. Perhaps the source of the heartbeat, assumedly what the vampire had been after, was another form of supernatural entity. The noises it emitted were soft, just barely softer than a gentle whisper. 

As he drew closer, there was a pause. He stilled for a minute, waiting to see if it would continue, and after a moment it did. It sounded much like a child's voice, quiet and soft, gentle and slightly wavering. 

Alucard slowly fazed through the wall of the cell the sound seemed to be coming from, met with an unusual sight even to him in a way. The room looked to have once been white, a padded cell with no furniture other than a few extra pillows in the corner, though they were worn and tattered. Bones of what appeared to be rodents littered the floor in addition to scattered bits of ash, confirming his earlier suspicion that the vampire had indeed been here, though it seemed to no longer be existent. What was the most unusual, however, was the little figure huddled in the corner.

Alucard quietly inhaled. The figure was female, of that much he could be certain, though he could not say for sure if it was entirely human. It appeared to be very much alive, if the slowly rising heartbeat was any indication, and for the most part healthy, if not a bit malnourished. A straitjacket was wrapped tightly around its small form, meaning it had either been a former patient – which would support the idea that it was indeed some sort of supernatural creature – or had been left here by someone that had no longer wanted to deal with it. He stepped forward once before a soft hissing noise slipped from its small body as it trembled almost violently, becoming still after a moment. Taking another step caused it to briefly spasm; the room, too, seemed to shake ever so slightly, creaking noisily for a moment. 

Alucard chuckled; so this little thing was locked away from the world for a different reason. He crouched down and studied her for a moment. From her size, she couldn't be older than 18, younger even. Her heart beat irregularly, her breathing uneven, likely unnerved by his presence; the No-Life King almost pitied the poor thing. He stood and pulled out his gun, planning on putting the poor dear out of her misery; upon firing it, however, the bullet burst midair, the pieces scattering about the room. Interesting. 

"You are a strange one," he said, crouching down agin. The girl stopped moving altogether at this. "I know you are aware of my presence, little one. It isn't wise to ignore me." Slowly, her heartbeat slow and although it still beat rather quickly, at least it no longer thought itself a cheetah. "Come now, little one. Is this anyway to greet a visitor?"

The female visibly shivered before awkwardly crawling out of the corner. As she moved towards him, she remained on her knees, her shoulders brushing against the ground. When she was no more than a few feet away, she stopped and slowly turned her head to the side, revealing her eyes to be covered by a thick black cloth; even so, she stared up at him, nose twitching ever so slightly as she breathed. She seemed hesitant but curious, much like the child she appeared to be. The No-Life King grinned down at her.

Perhaps the vampire he had been hunting had been on to something.


	2. II: Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey back is not always a pleasant one.

The girl stayed relatively quiet on the drive back to headquarters, making the occasional clicking or chattering noise, like a quiet whispering of nonsense; she didn’t seem to be entirely incapable of speech at the very least. Alucard watched her silently as she did this, recognizing bits of Latin strewn about her mumbling. 

After about an hour or so, she appeared to relax and start humming softly to herself. It was a different tune from the one she had been in that place, still soft and wavering, but almost sounding... hopeful. 

He once again took note of how small she was, how fragile and frail. She had her face turned ever so slightly to the moon outside the window, seeming to bask in its glow. The moonlight illuminated her face, making her look more like a ghost or a painting. Her dark hair, unruly as it was, framed her white face as a picture would be framed, inky black like a hood on a cloak. Indeed, she did look more dead than alive.

Alucard gazed at her attentively, an odd familiarity probing in the back of his mind. Her face seemed to draw him in, tempting him to question who she was, or had been. He thought back, trying to match her face to anyone he had ever seen in his many centuries, but the only faces that came to mind were those of his long lost fallen brides. 

He shook his head lightly, clearing those thoughts from his mind. It was impossible for her to be any of them, for he himself had seen Lucy's corpse before it faded to dust, just as those before her had, and Mina was probably long dead. Remembering them was not important right now. 

He opened his eyes to find her facing him, her head tilted to the side slightly. She almost looked like an innocent, curious child who had just learned to think its own thoughts, wanting to know more about what they saw, heard, smelled, felt, and tasted. Behind the blindfold, he knew her eyes were closed, but that feeling of being stared at was still present.

"You are an odd little thing," he spoke aloud to her. She tilted her head a little more. Her mouth began to move, but no sound came out. She furrowed her brows, looking a little confused before simply giving up on using the voice she was unable to now. Instead, she simply began moving her lips. The movements formed shapes, the shapes to sounds, the sounds to words.

' _Where are we going?_ ' her lips said. He resisted the urge to chuckle. 

"My mission had been to find out why ghouls has been all the way out here, and it seems their maker had been looking for you," he said, smiling wickedly. “So I have chosen to present my findings to my Master.” Though she probably couldn't see his smile, she could most likely feel the change in the air. He almost laughed at how she seemed to shift uncomfortably in the seat, the arms of the straitjacket wriggling slightly.

' _Who is she? The Master of the Great King?_ ' He blinked at her. Did she know who he was or was she just using what he had simply referred to himself as back in that once white room? He quickly pushed those thoughts away.

"My master is Sir Integra Hellsing, leader of the Hellsing Organization and descendent of Abraham Van Hellsing." His eyes wandered away from her lips and to her neck. He could hear the blood coursing through her veins, but it did not smell right, almost as if it had been tainted. He looked back to her lips to see them begin to move again. 

' _I am not certain that is a wise idea. I don't do well around other people..._ ' Her lips continued to move rapidly as she began to shift her weight, becoming more nervous. He leaned forward and reached out one of his large hands, gently placing it on her head. She flinched slightly at the sudden contact, but made no move to force him to let go of her skull.

"You needn’t worry so much. No one will come near you unless instructed to, so just relax."

Her body twitched slightly, shivering a few times before going still under his hand. Her breathing slowed a little as well as her heart, though the latter not so much. The car also began to slow. Alucard turned his attention to the window. 

Just outside were the gates to the Hellsing Organization.


	3. III: Interest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Master is intriguied by what the servant has brought home.

She didn't like it – not one bit. The way that woman stared at her, seeming to be looking directly through her. And that smell, that god awful smell of smoke.

_~~ardere, suffocatio...~~ _

She quivers where she stands slouched next to the No Life King, trying but failing to hide from that woman's gaze. 

"What is this, Alucard?" she questions with a sharp tone. "I ordered you find and eliminate the vampire that was causing problems in Manchester and you bring back a child?"

Alucard chuckles. "I can assure you, Master, the lowly excuse of a vampire has been dealt with. It was dead before I even had a chance to kill it." He gestures to the small girl. "It was this little one who had managed to destroy it from what I had gathered from the scene. That is the reason I have brought her here."

Integra glances back to the girl, noticing her 'outfit'. "Why is she bound in such a fashion?"

"That is how she was dressed when I found her."

"I see." She rests her chin upon the backs of her hands and continues to stare at the girl. The girl shifts more, moving to hide behind Alucard, causing him to chuckle softly. Even though her eyes were covered, she seemed to be able to sense when she was being observed. "And how did you come to the conclusion that she killed the vampire?"

Alucard smiles almost sinisterly, remembering what he had seen in that once white padded cell; the ashes, the blood, the left over bits of skin and organ tissue from whatever ghouls the vampire had brought with him. It left a remarkable impression on him about this girl.

"The ghouls withered away before I had found her and there was more than enough evidence in the room she was in. I also believe she may be an asset to the Organization." He looks to the girl and smirked. As if obeying a silent command, she moves to the opposite end of the room, her back facing him and Integra. The woman raises an eyebrow. "Allow me to demonstrate." He swiftly removes his gun from his coat and fires a single shot at the girl. Instead of piercing her body and rending through flesh, as Integra had expected it to, the bullet shatters, the bits scattering across the room, falling about at random. Integra's eyes widen for a fraction of a second before returning to normal. She clears her throat, as if to find her voice, before speaking.

"Yes, I suppose that would be reason enough," she says. Alucard smirk and store his weapon. "Where exactly did you say you found her again?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> ardere: burning  
> suffocatio: choking


	4. IV: Search For Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What a strange creature this girl is. Nothing a little digging can’t explain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know I’m early, but I am just too excited to wait, so expect some irregularity in the schedule. Halloween is best time of year.  
> Edit: For whatever reason, it’s not letting me italicise her patient page, so that’s a thing that is supposed to be there.

"What have you been up to, little one?"

It had been nearly three weeks since Alucard had picked up the strange girl from the asylum. The first few days she was put in a bullet-proof glass room to be observed and to possibly find out who or what she was. Only one file found from that rundown place matched her. 

 

**_Date:_** _7 of December 19_ **[illegible text]  
** **_Name:_** _Mariam "Mari" **[illegible text]**_ **  
****_Age: 15_** _(?)_  
**_Sex:_** _female_  
**_Staff Notes:_** _often well behaved and mild mannered; shows little to no aggression towards staff or other patients*; not talkative; does not like sharp objects_  
**_Diagnosis:_** _schizophrenia; emotional instability; ~~possible psychic abilities(?)~~  
**_Notes:_** _She seems rather indifferent about her situation, though since she is more often quiet than not, it is difficult to understand what goes on inside her head. Even though she has been kept restrained for nearly a year now, we still end up losing staff to her supposed ”psychic powers”. Speaks in a soft whisper (as expected). When she does decide to talk, more often than not she speaks fondly of her mother and will occasionally slip into speaking Italian. Supposedly, after **[long illegible text]** burned **［more illegible text］** brought here by her uncle, Father Alex **[illegible text]** __

____

____

__

__

__

__

__**__** _ _

There hadn’t been very much in the pages they were able to dig up, but it did confirm that she had been a former patient. It wasn’t much to go off of, but it was a start. After she had been deemed safe enough to be outside of the observation room – which she had been adamantly against – she had been given a room of her own to do with as she pleased, though more often than not she was seen following Alucard or Walter around.

Alucard had just returned from a short mission he had gone on and went looking for her. He found her waiting near the entrance to his room with an array of colours surrounding her and a small canvas in front of her. He crouched down to look at the canvas. It was covered in splotches of red, black, yellow and orange and didn't really look like much of anything. It looked more like a piece that was missing its puzzle. It sat there on the ground, the colours strewn around it twitching slightly. Even though the straitjacket had been unlatched and was removable, she refused to take it off and wear something else and would constantly hug herself as if the jacket was still locked.

She looked up at him now, her blindfold having been removed during observation, and her incredibly blue eyes stared curiously back at him. His drifted to her face and met hers. Over time, they had been able to partially synchronize their thoughts, now being able to communicate telepathically within a ranged distance.

" _How was your trip, Master?_ " she asked politely. Over the weeks, she’d become more animated, more lively. He suspected that this was due to being reconnected to others, though she insisted it was because of him. 

"Not even a challenge," he said aloud, chuckling lightly. He could feel her eagerness to go outside and do something more than being a guard dog of sorts. "Don't worry, my Master says you will be able to come out with me as soon as you hone your abilities to be able to fight."

She visibly began show her excitement, wriggling her body as though she were a dog wagging its tail. He chuckled again, patting her head before standing and entering his chambers with her trailing after him. Though she had a room of her own, she often came into his during the day to wait for him to awaken or simply to get away from the sun light. She seemed to avoid it as if she were a novelty vampire from a story book, as ironic as that sounded. 

" _Master?_ " The sound of her voice in his head brought him away from his musing. He turned to look at her, raising a thin eyebrow slightly. She shifted her weight on her feet a little before speaking again. " _Do… do you think I'm ready…?_ " Her thoughts trailed off. His mouth curved upward ever so slightly as he gently laid his hand on her head.

"I'm sure you'll be ready when you're needed," he said softly. He might not have been the kindest of people of vampires, but he could tell by the way he spoke and acted towards the girl that have may genuinely care for her well being. Before he could say much more, he sensed more than heard Sir Integra call for him. He looked down at the girl and smirked. Her eyes brightened and she began to shake again, smiling as her heart and breathing sped up excitedly. He nodded lightly and she, understanding the silent command, ran up the stairs and out the door, head towards Sir Hellsing's office. Alucard rose through the floor and into the office, gently pushing the door open so that she could dash in without hitting it. She halted by his side as he appeared, panting lightly. Integra glanced at her then back to Alucard.

"It seems there's been a reoccurring case of missing persons in Cheddar. It seems to be the work of a vampire. I want you to scout ahead to confirm and silence the threat," Integra said before standing. The girl looked a little dejected, thinking she wouldn't be able to come along. Seeing this, Integra sighed. "And I suppose you could take that girl with you. To see how she does on the battlefield."

The girl let out a soft trill of delight, bouncing slightly. Her first time in action was about to begin.


	5. V: A Night to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A walk in the pale moon light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place in the first portion of the first episode of Hellsing Ultimate. Trigger warnings include character death, blood (duh), sexual harassment, creepy church guy.

They walked silently along the path for awhile just outside Cheddar. It was nice to be outside again. Alucard paused and looked to the moon, causing Mari to stop as well. She peers up at him curiously. 

 

"How beautiful," he spoke, his signature smirk plastered on his face. Mari quivered as the sounds of the ghouls in the distance reached her ears. "Nights like this… make me want to have a bite to drink." His grin grew wider. "Yes… I couldn't imagine a more… perfect evening." He chuckled. Mari made a soft huffing noise that could pass as amusement. Of all the times to make jokes. 

They pressed onwards, the smell of blood and decay beginning to fill the air. The sound of running footsteps and gasping pants reached Mari's sensitive ears, making her chirr softly. Up ahead in the clearing, a young woman dressed in blue – a police officer perhaps? – stood surrounded by ghouls. Though she was armed, she was clearly outnumbered, panic and dread coming off her in waves. A man – no, a _vampire_ masquerading as a priest appeared behind her.

 

"There's no use running!" the false priest called to the woman before cackling loudly. The blonde swung her gun towards the the noise and started shooting, but after a few shots, the vampire seemed to vanish and reappear right in front of her in less than a second, grabbing her by the wrists. "Guns won't help you either." He proceeded to begin groping her, her face paling as she could not break free from his hold. The shuffling of ghouls distracted her momentarily and she gasped upon recognizing her squad, tears welling up in her eyes. 

"Eddy?" she choked out in shock. "Simon?"

"That's right," the vampire said. "Your little boyfriends belong to me now. And soon you'll belong to me too." He chuckled. In a last ditch attempt at escape, she swiftly raised her weapon and fired a single shot in his face. His head spun back from the impact, but he merely began to laugh again. As he turned back he spoke. "I look for loyalty in my servants. I wouldn't want a vampire with free will running around!" He knocked the gun from her hand and pulled her arm behind her back, making her cry out in pain. "Pity I can't find a virgin as lovely as you. I'm going to violate you," his other hand went between her clothed thighs, "drain you of blood, slowly, and then you'll join the rest of my ghouls." He leaned closer to her neck. "My slave for eternity." The girl screamed. 

Alucard took this moment to make his presence known. The priest turned his head as he heard the No Life King approach. Mari stayed in his shadows, crouched back a few paces. She would see what he had planned before moving to action. Alucard's grin widened.

"Who the Hell are you?" the faux priest asked, turning his head to face them. 

"Your death."

"My death?" The vampire scoffed, disbelieving. "Oh really. My God. This is pathetic." He chuckled as his ghouls began to move around them. Mari darted back a few more paces, just to be safe. "Kill him."

With a snap of his fingers, the ghouls aimed their guns and began firing. Bullets tore through Alucard’s body, filling him with holes. Mari resisted the urge to panic, as Alucard had assured her that he would be not be so easily defeated. It was actually a rather strange tactic, she thought, but he had been doing this much longer than she so she had little room to judge. 

The police officer gasped as the vampire holding her grinned. When the dust cleared, Alucard lay there in a pool of blood. The priest came forward, clearly disappointed. 

"Is that the best you got?" He laughed again, his eyes landing on the smaller girl a few feet away from the fallen king, his grin widening. Perhaps he could add another pet to his collection.

But his victory was short lived; Alucard chuckled as the holes were sealed, his blood drawn back to his body, reforming him. He stood and smirked at the awestruck priest and withdrew his own weapon, the large silvery gun gleamed brightly in the moonlight as he aimed and fired, taking down a few of the ghouls with a single shot. As he kept firing, ghoul after ghoul fell to the silver bullets. The priest stepped back as Alucard reloaded his gun.

"No! How can he be killing them?" Another step back, fearful and desperate. "It's those bullets!"

"The silver cross of Manchester Cathedral was melted down to make these 13 millimeter explosive shells. Nothing I shoot ever gets back up ," Alucard spoke smoothly, taking aim again.

"But why? Tell me!" the false priest demanded. "Why fight to save these pathetic humans!" Seeing as this weapon could likely maim him, if not out right kill him, the vampire grabbed the police woman, holding her in front of him like a shield. "Don't take another step. The girl's the last survivor. Don't you want to save her?" Mari let out a low rumbling growl and nearly rushed the vampire.

_~~nota... pessimam...~~ _

Alucard could hear her though she did not speak. _Interesting_ , he thought as he commanded her to stop and let him handle this. His gaze met that of the human woman within the vampire’s clutches. She was frightened, that much was clear, but did not turn away. _Very Interesting._

"Be reasonable! I'm not asking for much. Just a bit of help!" The false priest continued to ramble and attempt a bargain for his escape. “You can look the other way!”

"Are you a virgin, my dear?" Alucard spoke clearly, ignoring the sputtering vampire. The woman flushed brightly in shock and embarrassment. 

"What are you doing!?" It was becoming clear that his chances of escape were slipping away through his fingers. 

"I'm asking if you are a virgin."

The woman, still flabbergasted, struggled to find her voice as the vampire’s grip tightened considerably. 

"You bastard!" the priest bellowed, catching on to what was soon to happen. 

"Answer me!" Alucard boomed.

"Ye... Yes! I am — !" Before the woman could finish, a large silver bullet ripped through her body, landing the vampire priest square in the chest. The woman began to fall as the No Life King wasted no time in rushing the wounded vampire. Alucard's hand burst through the chest of the vampire as Mari caught the woman, laying her gently on the ground not far away. She was suddenly filled with concern and worry. This had been an innocent, caught in the crossfire of a war she likely had never known existed. The thought did not sit comfortably with the smaller. 

"You…! You…!" the dying vampire choked out as the No Life King twisted his hand, killing the vampire and turning it to ash. He turned now to face the dying girl and walked towards her. Mari moved aside as he came closer, her systems on overdrive.

_~~sanguinem... quoque morte...~~ _

"I had to shoot through you to pierce his heart," Alucard said gravely to her. "I'm sorry, but you're dying and there's no time left. The choice is yours. What do you want to do?"

She was silent aside from the gurgling noises coming from her ruptured lung, tears spilling down her face. Shakily, she reached out towards him, one thought echoing loudly in her mind.

_I don’t want to die._

As her conscience faded, Alucard took her hand in his, answering her silent plea. 

“Police Girl," he said, grinning, "tonight is truly a beautiful night." 

With that, he sank his fangs into her, taking in both her blood and her memories, in return breathing undead life back in to her. The deed was done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes I take dialog directly from the anime. I like to make my stories believable. You should be able to watch the portion on the episode as you read. Comment and follow or I'll have Alucard hunt your ass down!  
> Alucard: I will do no such thing.  
> Mari&Authoress: :( 
> 
> PS: Yes I am silly, but this is not a silly story, so you get to enjoy little notes. 
> 
> Translations:  
> Nota: familiar  
> Pessimam: painful  
> Sanguinem, quoque morte: blood, too much


	6. VI: Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new recruit buckles up for her new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This timeline is altered slightly from ours due to an error in my previous research. I like to make a point of making my stories relate to the real world as well as the worlds they are based in. As such, while the hospital mentioned in this chapter was indeed shut down before the 2000s, it should be noted that in this timeline, it was closed during the 1980s. This chapter also heavily deviates from the original version so be sure to read it all the way through if you’ve been following this story since before the rewrite.

Waking up as one of the undead was not something Seras Victoria had ever even remotely considered possible, so to do just that had her reeling. Everything was sharper, clearer, louder. It was a jarring experience to say the least.

Having the one that had just ended her mortal existence at her bedside upon waking was also not something she was remotely prepared for. He took the time to formally introduce himself as the doors opened and three people walked: a sharply dressed woman with long pale hair, an older man who looked to be some sort of butler, and a third figure she could not see clearly behind them. 

Not that she needed to wait long to catch a glimpse of inky black hair and deathly pale skin as the figure was suddenly beside her Sire, making a nearly inaudible noise that sounded a bit like crooning. Seras stared at the small female as Alucard patted her head in a way that reminded her of how one would show affection to a beloved pet. It was a very strange sight that lasted no more than two or three seconds, but it left an unsettling feeling in her gut. 

She later learned that this girl was called Mari and had become part of the Hellsing Organization not long before she had been turned. She did not speak, but did seem to be able to communicate clearly with her Sire, though whether that was due to him being a vampire or some sort of trait Mari possessed was unclear to her. Either way, Alucard seemed to be the only one able to have a “full conversation” with her. Seras rarely came across Mari, despite the fact that she nearly stalked the two vampires, which would be less odd had her eyes rarely been open.

“She’s curious,” Alucard had said almost out of nowhere one day. When she had asked for clarification, though, he had simply given her a wide grin and chuckled softly. 

—~•~—~•~—~•~—~•—~•~—

Alucard was more than amused by the way the two girls were acting as they danced around each other, neither one taking a step to initiate first contact, but both still keenly aware of the other. The former police officer was more open with her mind, though he suspected that to be because she was unaware that they could listen in to her thoughts on occasion. Mari, on the other hand, was unusually quiet and almost skittish when passing thoughts along, almost as if she worried that she’d be overheard. 

As amusing as it all was, though, it eventually had become enough of a hinderance on Seras’ training that he made a move to properly acquaint them. 

That evening before he was to head out on another solo mission, he had directed Seras to meet him near Mari’s chambers. Since he had turned her his fledgeling, he had had little time to interact with the smaller girl as they used to. He led the way to the psychic’s room and knocked once before entering, his fledgeling closely in tow. 

As expected, Mari sat towards the center of the room surrounded by little clips of colour and pillows; the wall facing the door was covered in various places with these slips of paper and canvases, making a mural of sorts depicting a grassy field, a tree, and a pond under a blanket of swirling stars. Seras looked wide-eyed around the room, seeming in awe of the display. Alucard inwardly chuckled. 

"I've brought someone here to meet you, little one," he spoke to Mari, her ear twitching at the sound of his voice. She turned to face him, eyes still closed but clearly giving him her undivided attention. "This is the Police Girl from Cheddar. You remember her I'm sure. I've brought her here to keep you company this evening while I'm out. Be sure to play nice. Is that clear?" She slowly nodded her head, whispering something to him in his head. He smiled and patted her head before standing and facing Seras. ”As you’ve been told, this is Mari. I caution you to be careful of the thoughts that enter your mind as you are here, as she has the tendency to eavesdrop.” Said girl huffed out a breath through her nose. “You are to become acquainted with her and learn how to effectively communicate with her as she will be accompanying us in the future. Have I made myself clear, Police Girl?”

"Yes, sir," she said warily, "and I've told you. My name is Seras Victoria, not Police Girl."

Alucard merely chuckled as he exited, closing the door behind him. Seras sighed before turning to face the other only to realize the girl was already in her face, eyes wide and brilliantly blue. Seras jolted and stumbled back in surprise, tripping over her own feet and falling backwards on to one of the pillows strewn about the room. The smaller girl followed the young Draculina closely, her eyes falling shut once more and her mouth forming in a smooth, slightly downward curve.

"Y-you really startled me there," she spoke with a nervous smile and an uneasy laugh. The girl merely tilted her head in response. Seras sighed before trying to get up, only to find that her limbs felt weighed down by some unseen force.

Mari crouched down next to her, making little sound aside from her calm heartbeat, opening those incandescent orbs again to observe the other. The Draculine found herself unable to look away as they studied one another.

Both were still and quiet for some time before Seras became aware of a faint whispering. She gave a perplexed look, concentrating on the whisper until it slowly began to form words. 

" _Too human_ ," the voice hissed. Seras's brow furrowed as the voice continued. " _Hear me?_ " She nodded slowly. The words were muffled, but became clearer as she focused on them. " _Lack proper instinct. Human ideology does not work for creatures of night. Have to throw away that life. It's over._ "

Mari straightened herself and moved to the other side of the room, little strips of coloured paper following her along as if pulled by a string. Once the girl had turned away, Seras seemed to have broken out of whatever trance those eyes had put on her and sat up, scratching the back of her head. The two girls found themselves locked in an uncomfortable silence before Seras decided to break the awkward moment. 

"So you're not human then...?” she asked with hesitation. Mari's head turned back to her, giving a small nod. Seras thought for a moment before speaking again. "Were you… ever human?" The other responded with a gentle lifting of her shoulders. The Draculina took her chances and moved closer to the strange girl. "I guess that explains a few things, I mean you know, you being here and all. Where did you live before?"

Mari's mouth shifted to a grimace as she thought of her time before Hellsing, her form shuddering briefly. She slowly pointed to the corner where her abandoned prison garb lay sprawled across the floor, mostly in tatters now. The Draculina's eyes followed her fingers, landing upon the torn fabric of the asylum jacket. Slowly she moved over to it, picking it up and looking it over, frowning slightly.

"You… you stayed at Barnes Hospital…?" she asked softly. Slowly, the girl nodded her head, still not looking at her. Seras looked back down at the jacket. "…why would someone just leave a child there…?"

When she looked up again, Mari was in front of her, piercing brighter blue meeting duller darker blue.

" _Wasn't always abandoned, you know,_ " her soft voice whispered in her head, a subtle hint of underlying malice lacing her words. " _Much older than you think. Was there when it was active, when there were actually people there._ " The Draculina blinked in surprise. If what she said was true, that would make her older than both herself and Sir Hellsing. Mari plopped back on her rump, shifting uneasily but maintaining eye contact. " _There was a fire when I was little, though I survived. My only living relative after that was my uncle, but he put me in that place because he said God had told him to let me go; said I was a threat to the church. Don't remember much between then and before you came. Just being alone and in the dark for years._ "

Seras felt the urge to hug the girl, almost pitying her. Having lost her mother at a young age, she could sympathize with the loss. She decided that it was best just to give her a reassuring smile.

"Well, you're not alone anymore, right?" she said. Mari gave a small grin back, looking a little more relaxed and nodded slightly. "You have us now, so you don't have to be lonely." Seras's brow furrowed slightly. "Can you… actually talk? Or... just with your mind?"

Mari opened her mouth, a soft crooning sound spilling from her parted lips. She tightened her face in concentration, the sound coming out as a whisper, audible to the Draculine's ears but likely not to a human’s. It sounded like they were on opposite sides of a wall, her whispering voice dampened and muffled. She closed her mouth after a moment, shaking her head.

" _Only physical sounds I can make don't really sound much like talking,_ " her mind replies. " _I used to sing, but I can’t really remember many songs now and don’t know if I’d be any good now if I tried. It’s been ages after all._ " She looked away a little, seeming disheartened. Seras tilted her head a little.

"Would… would you mind if I heard you sing…?" she whispered softly. Mari blinked at the Dracline in slight surprise before smiling shyly and nodding slowly. A sort of grunt came from her before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her lips parting again. This time, a sweet but sad melody drifted from her lips into the air. Like she had said, it was soft and difficult to hear beyond the sound of her beating heart, but if Seras concentrated, she could almost see the way the note moved through the air, immersing herself in the flow of it.

_Lacrimosa dies illa_  
_Qua resurget ex favilla_  
_Judicandus homo reus_  
_Huic ergo parče deus_  
_Pie jesu dormine_

There was a pause in her singing as she hummed for a little bit, swaying from side to side slightly before starting up again.

  
_Judicandus homo reus_  
_Huic ergo parče deus_  
_Pie jesu dormine_

Seras opened her eyes as the singing stopped. The song, though she didn't quiet know what it meant, struck something within her. She looked at the girl, noticing that her eyes were opened slightly and she was looking up, a sad but peaceful look on her face. An image flashed in her mind, but as quickly as it had come it was gone. Something about that song spoke of sadness, whether it was the words or the way it was sung she didn't know. She blinked, feeling a wetness on her cheeks. When going to wipe her face, she discovered them to be tears. Seras sniffled.

"That was beautiful…" the young Draculine whispered. Mari nodded slowly, closing her crystalline azure eyes and letting out a soft breath. A few moments of silence passed before either of them spoke again. "What does it mean?" Another minute of silence.

" _…For forgiveness…_ " she said slowly. " _…for wrong or misdeed that was done…_ "

"Oh…" Seras shifted uncomfortably. "C-Could you try to sing another song…?"

Mari smiled and nodded. For the first time in years, she left something other than fear or empty or longing. 

For once, she felt safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song used is a Lacrymosa variation used in the show D. GrayMan.


	7. VII: Into the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Working the field, a new challenge approaches.

Almost a week had passed before the next group mission was assigned. This time they were headed off to Badrick in Northern Ireland, a risky move considering it was on the edge of their territory, but the threat had been deemed significant enough to intervene. 

The group, with Alucard’s lead, had tracked the vampire and his ghouls to an olden estate at the edge of town, which benefited them as it had been abandoned and humans didn’t tend to wander the area, claiming it to be haunted. The No Life King directed his fledgeling to keep watch for anything that might escape while he and the other girl handled the ghouls inside, to which Seras complained but complied with. The plan had been for Mari to lure the ghouls to one side of the building while Alucard scoured the other side for the vampire. 

Though from the sound of it, some of the ghouls had not taken bait to follow the girl and remained on the lower floors. Seras, utterly bored, decided she wanted to prove herself more than capable as a fighter. Busting through the doors and diving, she quickly rolled in and raised her weapon. 

"They're not real people," she spoke quietly, trying to convince herself that she wasn't hurting anyone by eliminating these ghouls. She took aim to the nearest one. "They might as well be somebody's pumpkins… They're just dolls… Take aim… just one shot and it's all over." She began firing, hitting each ghoul she aimed at right in the head. After she finished off the group of six or seven, she made her way down the hall and up the stairs. As she ascended, a ghoul holding a small pistol began firing sloppily at her, missing every shot. She quickly put an end to him and the ones nearby, making it to the top of the stairs, continuing to rain bullets down on the ghouls that stood before her.

On the opposite end of the long hall, she could vaguely make out the pale form of Mari as she fought her own battle against the many ghouls. The way she had chosen to dress herself for this mission had the young Draculina confused before, with its thick and heavy materials weighing the poor girl down, its true purpose being revealed to her now as she fought. Though its weight seemed to do little to affect its host, it provided a nice bullet proof layer of protection to her body. While seeming to render most of the bullets fired at her useless, she also seemed to be manipulating the objects around her, using them as tools to defend herself from the ghouls' attacks as she would single one out and lunge at it and tear its heart out rather quickly with her bare hands, the blood from the ghouls spraying on her as she moved quickly.

As Seras focused back in on the ghouls in front of her, she did not hesitate to start firing at them, with each new kill adding to the slowly leaking red in her eyes. She kept moving as one by one ghouls fell left and right.

"Police Girl," came the voice of her Master from behind her — he seemed to have finished his floor, "when you aim, make sure to put a hole through the heart or the head. Just remember, these people did not become undead ghouls by choice. There's no way to cure them once they've been changed. It’s for their own sake to put these people rest as quick as possible." His eyes roamed to the other girl, noting her control and precision in her lethal attacks along with the copious amount of ghoul blood painting her clothes and skin. He made a mental note to question her on her tactics later. 

Seras grinned as more ghouls came out and she charged at them, taking several of them out quickly and effectively. Sliding between some of them with her vampiric speed, she turned and swiftly hit one across the face with her gun, stomping on its damaged head for good measure, a sadistic smile making its way on to her face. Blood splattered all over her as the ghoul's skull burst under the pressure of her foot. Alucard's eyes narrowed in something that could only be akin to some form of pride in his Childe. "Now you're starting to understand what it means to be a true vampire."

" _Sir… yes Sir, my Master,_ " she sneered, her face twisted in a form of sadistic glee as her eyes shone crimson, and as she wiped the blood from her cheek, Alucard noticed that the little one had made her way around to him, quaking to the point where he could quite literally hear the fabric on her rustling violently. She whimpered softly, a nervous and panicked stream of her thoughts coming to him.

" _Someone’s here! Someone's here! Nearby! He means to kill!_ " Many of these thoughts came so quickly he barely had time to process one before another two or three followed it. He looked back to his Childe, smirking as her tongue snaked out of her mouth to reach the blood on her gloved hand.

Just as Seras was about to have her first taste of blood, a silver blade pierced through her neck from behind, stunning l her and drawing a surprised noise from her Master as Mari let out a shrill shriek. Several more blades pierced the Draculina's body before she fell to the ground with a groan of pain. Alucard took a defensive position in front of Mari; though she could handle herself against a vampire, this was something she would not be able to fight without his protection.

"Blessed blades…" he grimaced. Sheets of paper flew around them, embedding themselves in the walls. Alucard turned sharply. "A barrier?"

The sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs at the end of the hall made Mari's breath quicken and her body tremble. She wasn't ready for this! The tall man at the end of the hall turned to them and smirked, blood dripping from the blades by his sides, a gold cross hanging from his neck. For a minute or two, they stared at each other. Finally, the man broke the silence.

"We are the servants of God, and messengers of His Justice," he spoke with a thick accent. Mari quivered from her place near Alucard, whimpering quietly. "We are the instruments of His divine wrath on earth. We are called upon, Plensis Kingdom! Bringin’ ash from the flesh of Thine enemies. Praise ta our Lord!"

She wasn't ready to face _**him**_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just out of curiosity, how many of you were readers at the original posting?


	8. VIII: Familiar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter a foe of power and glory. Apologies, for this one is quite gory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is directly after the last as I don't usually break up episodes unless there are jump cuts or scene breaks (though in this case it’s for dramatic timing). The Catholic Church everyone. Instilling fear into the hearts of young monsters everywhere for as long as they have existed. Note: Mari’s thoughts and words are underlined while Alucard’s telepathic messages are bolded. The exception being when both bolded and underlined. That is still Alucard.

The Priest began to stalk his way toward the group, each step echoing through the building, quaking Mari to the core.

"Beautiful moon tonight, don’t ya think?" he said, his smirk still ever present. More silence followed by a groan and whimper of pain from Seras. The Priest chuckled. At this point Mari had herself pressed quite literally against Alucard's stable and strong body, as if he were the only thing keeping her from turning into a cowardly sack of bones. "Yer voice sounds so very lovely when yer whimperin in agony, young lady. Don’t worry though, yer not dying yet. I 'aven’t pierced yer heart. It’s been a while since I had a good hunt. I plan on enjoyin' this."

"Vatican Special Division XIII," Alucard spoke, the sound of his voice easing the smaller girl’s tension for a moment, "the Iscariot organization."

 

"Right you are, you pathetic Hellsing dogs." He began to move forward again, renewing Mari’s tremors. "And you must be Alucard... house-broken vampire, the monster who hunts his own kind. The famous, Hellsing family _pet…_ "

"What have you done with the vampire we had been hunting," Alucard asked accusingly, gently nudging Mari to go help Seras as he took a step forward. She waited in his shadow for a moment or two longer — afraid to let go of the stability he provided — before doing as he commanded. 

"He's dead," the Priest stated simply. "Not much fun really. I didn't even have time ta enjoy it." The two men stilled when they were right next to each other. "It seems you two are the only ones left."

"Really," the No Life King said simply, curious as to the Priest had only mention two when there were clearly three of them; perhaps he was aware that only two of them were vampires. The Priest spun, his bayonets coming up as Alucard drew his gun. The blades pierced him in the chest lightly, not enough to kill, but enough to be painful if one was not well adept to pain. Seras let out a gasp, her eyes going wide slightly. Alucard raised his gun and shot the Priest once in the face, throwing him off of his feet. He landed with a dull thud on the floor a few feet away.

"You attacked a vampire head-on in the middle of the night," Alucard spoke calmly, removing the blades from his chest and dropping them to the ground. "You didn't even try to catch me by surprise. You are a brave man, Father. But you are also a fool."

 

" _Aahh…Maasta…_ " Seras managed to get out with pain, being helped to sit up by Mari, the latter having a frightened look upon her pale features. Alucard turned to them.

"Don't talk," he commanded. "You've been stabbed with a blessed blade. Now just…" Alucard froze as the Priest rose up behind him, laughing before stabbing Alucard through the chest from behind. " ** _What?!_** " He slips out from under the laughing Priest, flipping over Seras and Mari while shooting. Again the Priest is knocked down and again he gets back up.

This went on for a few more minutes before the Priest lunged at the No Life King, catching him off guard for a moment too long, and pinned him against the wall, sending two bayonets into his hands. Seras whimpered in fright while Mari was huddled beside her attempting to dislodge the blades while quaking in fear.

" **Amen!** " the priest yelled. Alucard snarls.

"Regenerator…"

"Correct! A living weapon engineered by the human race to defeat vile monsters like you!" Stabbing several more bayonets into him, the Priest prepared to deliver the final blow. With a quick draw of his blades, the No Life King's head came clean off, splattering blood everywhere. As it sailed through the air towards the girls, the Priest belted out another loud " **Amen!** "

"Ah…ah…M…Master!" Seras screamed after processing what just happened. Though Mari knew he would be fine in a few minutes, the sight of the severed head and body was enough to make her ill. If it weren't for Seras, who Alucard had silently put her responsible for, she would have attacked the Priest right then and there. He just continued laughing.

" _That's it!?_ " he mocked. "This thing was Hellsing's ultimate weapon?! The great domesticated vampire. What a disappointment. He's a joke! Bloody Protestants screw everythin' up."

While the Priest was occupied with his rant, Mari silently shuffled over and took hold of Alucard's head before crawling back to Seras and nudging her to start moving. By the time the Priest noticed, they already had a decent lead. 

"Well, after all that she is still able to crawl away." He straightened his glasses. "It seems I’ve underestimated ma little Draculina."

 

Meanwhile, Seras was having something similar to a mental break down, leaving Mari to gently pull out the blessed blades with her bare hands. After the last one was out, Seras uneasily looked at Mari, at a loss of what to do. Mari was biting her lip to distract herself from the searing pain in her hands, her sharp little fang-like teeth piercing her skin, causing small drops of blood to trickle down her chin; though she wasn’t a vampire, blessed objects still seemed to cause an almost burning sensation along her skin. She looked back down at her Master's head. 

"Master…" Seras whispers softly, sounding on the verge of tears. She pulls him closer. "Please… you can't do this… drag me into this world… only to leave me… I can't do this alone…"

Before Mari had time to be offended, she jumps back hastily, one of the Priest's blades impaling itself into the wall where she had been standing not a second ago, managing to steal Alucard's head from Seras' grasp in the process.

"And where do you think yer goin'? There's no place to run! Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust. We are nothing but dust and ta the dust we shall return. Amen!" Anderson grins, coming closer to the two. Only now does he seem to realize that the Draculina is not the only one left. "Well, it seems I may 'ave overestimated ya. Ya had help gettin' away." His eyes focus on the smaller trembling girl before widening slightly. 

“Is that…? _No,_ it can't be!" He chuckles in disbelief. "Is that you, little Mariam? Still alive?" He smiles sinisterly and belts out a roar of laughter. "Well, I'll be, it is! After all these years and not one letter to yer dear, old uncle!" 

Seras glances at the smaller with confusion. She knew this man? What more, they were related? So many questions ran through her mind. Mari's eyes narrow at Anderson, a soft growling noise coming from her. 

"And now here I find ya with these heathens. How disappointing." He draws his blades again as Mari takes a defensive stance in front of Seras and Alucard's head. "There's still a chance The Lord'll forgive ya if ya come on back home." Mari slowly opens her mouth and slowly, words begin to form from her damaged throat.

 

" _I don't need Hisss forgivenessssss…_ " she hisses hoarsely, voice no more than a whisper. Seras blinks a few times, in awe that her friend did, in fact, have the ability to speak. The Priest, however, smirks.

"So you've regained yer voice, 'ave ya?" He chuckles, shaking his head. "Thought that little accident made it impossible ta speak without trouble. One surprise after another." Mari lunges at him, only to be knocked back by his blades. "So ya really 'ave become one of the Hellsing dogs."

_Victoria!_ Mari shouts in the young vampire’s mind. _Go! Get him to a safe place while I handle this!_ Just as she was able to convey her thoughts, Mari is pinned to the wall, blades all around her body, some embedded in her clothing, trapping her between the wall and Anderson. 

"Why side with these monsters? You know they are doomed to Hell," he says with a smirk on his face. Mari growls weakly.

" _You... and I... are no different,_ " she rasps out. Enraged, Anderson slaps her harshly across the face, forcing her to the ground and stabs one of his blade through her left shoulder. Mari lets out a pained choking howl as it goes through her body and into the floor below, rooting her to the spot. Silent tear stream from her face as she remains still, the pain ripping through her entire being.

"Yer wrong," the deranged Priest says. "We were born ta be messengers of God! Ta bring about His divine judgement unto monsters and heathens!"

 

" _Wrong…?_ " Mari wheezes out a chortle between gasps of pain. " _We are… nothing more than monsters ourselves… How can… you even think… to call us worthy… of such power…_ " Anderson twists the blade slightly, wrenching another strangled howl of agony from his niece. 

“So,” he began, his voice just above a whisper, "ya've chosen to side rather with the Protestant filth over yer own kind. I'm disappointed in you."

 

Seras turns to the window, only to be zapped by an unseen force. She screams, pulling back.

"What is this…?!" she says, noticing the papers pinned to the window frame. Anderson turns his attention away from his niece for a moment to look at the Draculina.

"That is a spiritual barrier, little girl," he says with a grin. "It is impossible for vampiric creatures such as yerself ta penetrate it." He pulls his blade from Mari's shoulder, who lets out another gasp of pain as she fades in and out of consciousness, her blood painting the floor around her. Anderson begins to stalk towards Seras. "Now settle down while I prepare you for slaughter, you God Damn monster."

 

 _He's going to kill me… I’ll die…_ Seras begins to panic, unaware that her thoughts are screaming to her Master and comrade. _I’ll die…Oh, God! I’ll die!_

 

 ** _Now's not the time to lose your head, Police Girl,_** Alucard's voice projects to his Childe. Seras gasps and her head snaps to look at his. Mari's face rolls to look at him, barely aware enough to witness what was happening. Inwardly, she wishes herself to have been stronger. Had lives not been at stake, she may have laughed at the irony of it all. 

"Master…?" Seras watches in a mixture of shock and horror as his head melts into blood, splattering over the floor. Cautiously, she moves towards it as it does to her.

 ** _Drink my blood, Police Girl,_** he commands, earning another gasp. **_Drink and never again will you be treated as a slave. Drink and you shall truly become one of Us! You will drink blood of your own choosing, wandering the night, powerful and singular. Become eternal and complete!_** Seras eyes slowly fade to the blood red colour of vampires. _**Drink my blood, Police Girl! No, Seras Victoria!**_

As Seras hesitates to follow through, Anderson comes up behind her, bayonets ready to strike. "It's over." Seras screams and tries to escape as Anderson prepares his attack. 

Before he can deliver it, however, gunshots are fired, rendering his blades useless as they fall to pieces.

"Those girls belong to me," Integra says, stepping from the shadows, gun smoking and ready to fire more rounds if needed. "What's your business here, Paladin of Iscariot, Father Alexander Anderson?" Slowly she lowers her gun, chancing a glance at the two girls. She grimaces at the wounds inflicted on the both of them, though Mari's were far more concerning. 

 

"Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing," he says slowly. "To what do I owe the pleasure of such a personal appearance?"

"Enough, Father Anderson," she says in annoyance. "This is a violation of our agreement. The situation here is under our control. Withdraw immediately. Neither the Iscariot nor the Hellsing Organization can afford this sort of battle. I don't care who you think you are. This act of aggression ends now." For a moment there is silence, accompanied by Seras' slight panting and Mari's labored breathing.

"Withdraw?" Anderson questions finally. He smirks. "Is that an order?" His remaining blades come out from hiding as be prepares another attack. "You expect the Iscariot Organization, God's own chosen instruments of judgement, to just withdraw on your order? Did you really expect me to run away screamin' in fear from a filthy Protestant whore?!"

Integra's bodyguards fire at Anderson, but are quickly disposed of as he makes for an attack on Integra. In response she withdraws her own blade to parry his blow.

"An artificially bioengineered regenerator agent," she speaks through clenched teeth. She steals a glance at Seras and Mari, the smaller girl‘s condition seeming to grow worse by the second. This needed to end quickly before she lost too much blood if she hadn't already done so. "And they've upgraded your healing. You're a _thing_."

 

"Perhaps," he admits, "but yer nothin’ but weak. Yer worthless, and as for that pathetic pet vampire you love ta parade around," Integra steels her resolve. "You just missed his decapitation."

"You cut his head off?" Integra mocks, a little relieved. "Is that all?"

" ** _What?!_** " Anderson tenses as the sound of a large weapon being cocked echoes around the four. Seras stood ready about three or so meters away, her gun aimed at him.

"Get your hands off of Sir Integra," she demands, causing Anderson to laugh again.

"It's not looking good for you," Integra says in a smug tone, "Father Anderson. If I were you, I'd leave while I was still able."

"Have you gone insane?" Anderson retorts. "I'm about to paint the walls with the three of ya!"

"Then you better make it quick," she retorts. "That vampire you decapitated will be coming back to life any second now."

"He'll _what?!_ " Anderson spins around to look back at the others as the fluttering wings of a thousand bats sound throughout the building. One bat comes over to Seras and she stares in awe.

 

 _ **Why didn't you just drink the blood, you idiot,**_ Alucard scolds her. The windows break and the dark forms flood in, filling the hall. Anderson attempts to cut them down, but to no avail. 

"Cut off his head," Integra says over the noise as the bats begin to reform the No Life King's body. "Pierced his heart. He is nothing like any vampire you've ever known. Your tricks won't kill him. You may be the fruit of the finest anti-vampire technology, but a hundred years of the Hellsing family's account knowledge produced this achievement. Our crowned glory, the vampire Alucard!"

From the wings and shadows of the bats, he emerges dressed in black, his hair now flowing far beyond his waist. He chuckles then begins to laugh.

"Master!" Seras exclaims with delight. Mari briefly glances up with relief before drifts back under, her breathing slow. She would need to save her energy if she was to fight off death again. Alucard raises his gun as he and Anderson rush at each other once more. As they land, the vampire king's arms come off only for new ones to sprout in their place.

"I think you're beginning to understand," Integra says to the Priest. "What will you do now, Anderson?"

Alucard's grin stretches across his face, the pure enjoyment he’s felt from this battle glinting in his crazed eyes.

"I'll leave. I need further preparations to kill this one," he complies, pulling out a book. He looks back at his torn up niece for a moment before opening the book. The papers surrounding the building fly towards him, encircling him in light. "We'll meet again, Hellsing! Next time, I'll butcher you all. Just remember who it is you have at yer side!" The papers break through the last window, taking Anderson with them, vanishing into the night as Seras watches in awe, her legs giving out on her.

"It's over," she sighs in relief. Integra lights a cigar before looking over at her two vampires. Alucard turns to her.

"Are you alright, Alucard?" she asks with little hint of concern.

"Yes," he replies smoothly. "It's been a while since I've had my head cut off. And now we've finally met Father Anderson from Iscariot."

"He has violated our agreements'" she says, scowling, "attacked without provocation, and killed my men. The Vatican will pay dearly for this. However, they are not our priority. There is a shadow organization out there that is responsible for this increase in vampire attacks."

"Then what are my orders, Master?" he grins. "Shall I destroy them? Wipe them from the Earth? Grind them to dust? Just give the word, My Master, Sir Integra Hellsing."

"When the time has come, I will," she states, looking at Seras who was now next to Mari with a worried expression.

"Really," he replies. "I can't wait. It'll be a pleasure. A truly great pleasure." He walks over to Seras and Mari. "You." Seras looks up. "Why didn't you drink the blood." She stays silent. "Why. Not. Drink."

"I'm not sure," she admits sheepishly, "but it felt like… it felt like if I drank the blood, it would mean the end of something important inside of me."

"You are an idiot," Alucard says, picking up Mari's bleeding body into his strong arms, searching for her fading pulse. "But perhaps you have a point. Perhaps it is time for a vampire who does not walk alone through the night." He looks at Integra. "She is alive, but for how much longer I’m not certain."

"Then we need to hurry," Integra says, beginning to walk away. "I would prefer not to lose anymore men tonight." She pauses, glancing at Seras before looking back to the Vampire King. "Why did you turn her into a vampire?"

"Why indeed," Alucard smirks. "For fun? For sport? Maybe it was just a whim. Maybe, but that doesn't sound like me. Perhaps after years spent with humans, you finally rubbed off on me. I might be developing a sort of whimsy." He continues walking. "Let's go, Police Girl. Don't dawdle."

"Yes, sir!" Seras gets up and starts following. "My Master! But you see, sir! My name isn't Police Girl! It's Seras Victoria, sir!”

" **Enough!** " he barks. "You cowered. You are a Police Girl. Police Girl will do."

"You're mean," she whines. As they walk away, Alucard simply laughs.

Distantly, he can feel the rising storm on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the styling was a bit confusing :\  
> But yes, Mari’s full name is Mariam Anderson. Suddenly paints a much different picture of her, huh?


	9. IX: Recover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A battle fought is a battle won. Now what to do once the battle is done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the last chapter, Mari is Anderson's niece through her father, who was his cousin (don't ask; details are sketchy), and was raised partially in the Vatican. As will be explained, she was a kind of prototype for the regenerative abilities that Anderson has, though she ended up being sent to an asylum in England after a violent outburst that revealed her psychic abilities, deemed her too much of a risk. As for why they didn’t just kill her, that’s a bit more complicated.

It had been almost a week since the encounter with Iscariot and Mari had yet to awaken. While initially troubling, she was still able to occasionally communicate telepathically with Alucard, so that was a good sign. On his off time, Alucard would visit her and they would have brief exchanges with each other, though these didn’t often last very long before she slipped back under. 

One such night as he entered the medical ward where she was being kept, something seemed… different. He stood at the edge of the bed, staring down at her unmoving form. As he gently moved a stray hair from her face, a small frown formed upon his face. Usually by now she would have at least greeted him. He leaned closer to her after a few moments. Her nose twitches slightly, morphing Alucard's frown into a smile.

"Well good evening to you, too, Little One," he whispers softly to her, to which she responds with a sort of mental chirp. He chuckles lightly and sits back up.

She was healing quite nicely considering being impaled by a blessed blade. As soon as they had returned to headquarters, she had been immediately rushed to the medical ward to be patched up, though the wound through her shoulder had already partly sealed. Both Alucard and Integra came to the troubling conclusion that like her uncle, she too had likely been subjected to Iscariot’s regenerator experiments, though her abilities seemed far less efficient. Alucard had offered up the idea of using his own blood for a transfusion, and though it had honestly been in jest, Integra had agreed. Thinking back on it now, that was likely a contributing factor to her current condition. Her body was likely adapting to the vampiric blood that now flowed through her veins.

"How long will you decide to remain like this, Little One?" he says coolly, a gentle grin upon his face. Her eyes flicker lightly behind her closed eyelids, a very pale pink dusting lightly across her cheeks. He chuckles lightly.

 _Not.... much longer now... Master_ , she responds in kind, almost drawing an unusual shudder from the vampire. She had called him that before, but never had it caused such an odd stirring in his chest. Perhaps introducing his blood into her system held more secrets than they were initially aware of. The two were now able to communicate over longer distances and she had indeed been healing more rapidly. 

Mari breathing stutters slightly, drawing Alucard from his thoughts. Her eyelids were quivering and her nose twitching. He slowly brought his larger hand closer to hers, intertwining her fingers with his own. A small rush of some pleasant emotion filtered through their connection. 

_I miss being outside,_ she conveys after a few moments. Alucard chuckles lightly, petting her head almost affectionately. 

"Then perhaps you’d like to join me for an evening stroll," he whispers softly. Her eyelids shift slightly, quivering as she attempts to open them. Slowly, her eyes begin to open. 

Different could not begin to describe this night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. It’s mostly a filler chapter since the next few will be a bit... intense.


	10. X: Old and New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something old, once forgotten  
> Rise anew of memories rotten...

A harsh whining echoes through the mansion. Mari didn't like having to be kept in the dark under the building. It reminded her too much of those years she spent alone in the asylum – even though Alucard was down here with her, sitting on his throne. 

Sir Integra was having a very important meeting with people upstairs, this much she knew. Who the men were she knew not, but being down here was making her restless.

"You're making quite a lot of noise, Little One," Alucard says. "It would be best if you quieted down before they start asking questions."

_But it's cold and dark down here and I don’t like it_ , she protests, quaking uneasily as she paces about. She lets out another soft noise. _And... you are saddened..._

It was true that not long before, he had awoken from a memory filled sleep. It was one of his least liked memories, the time he was bested, defeated by a human, when he had lost his name and become bound to the Hellsing Family for eternity. He had awoken to find Mari's head rested against his leg, quietly whimpering, as blood dripped from his eyes. 

But that had been in the past. He could not change things that had already happened no matter how powerful he was.

" ** _WALTER!!!_** " comes a loud screech from not far away in the manor. Alucard stands as Mari darts around the room.

"Sounds like the Police Girl has discovered her new resting place," he says, grinning. "Let's go see how it's going."

~•~•~•~

"I take it you're still feeling... uncomfortable with the situation?" they hear Walter say as they come up to Seras' room. Alucard frowns.

"You're an idiot," he says as he walks in, Mari directly behind him. Seras looks at him in shock.

"Master?" she questions.

"You chose the night," he continues as if she hadn't spoken. "Once you've turned your back on the light of day, all the sunlight should ever mean to you is a smoldering pain and a slow death." Mari looks at the dejected Draculina with a sympathetic nod. Alucard simply shakes his head and begins to walk towards the two, the small girl following for a short distance before going over to interact with Seras.

"Good evening, Alucard," Walter says as he moves over to a desk at the side of the room. "I have something very special I was hoping to show you." Alucard walks over and opens the case Walter was gesturing to. Inside was a large black hand gun.

"What is this?" Alucard speaks with a grin. Walter picks up the gun.

"The Jackal, a custom 13mm anti-freak combat pistol. It fires custom made rounds, far more powerful than the .454 Casull rounds you're used to. 39cm long, 16 kilograms in weight, and six rounds per magazine. The Jackal has more firepower than any human could be expected to handle."

"And the rounds?" Alucard muses curiously.

"13mm explosive shells."

"The casings?"

"Pure Macedonian silver."

"And the tips, explosive or mercury?" Alucard locks the magazine in place. 

"Mercury tips," the butler states, "and they've already been blessed."

"It's perfection, Walter," he says sincerely.

"I'm pleased that you're pleased, Sir," Walter says, bowing.

"I bet this beauty could even stop Father Anderson dead in his tracks." Mari flinches at the mention of her uncle's name.

"Oh my God, Master!" Seras says excitedly, admiring the gun. "That's amazing!"

"Miss Victoria," Walter calls, drawing her attention, "I believe I have something special for you as well."

"Hm?" she turns, an inquisitive smile on her face. 

"The Harkonnen. A 30mm, anti-freak cannon," he says, standing next to the heavy looking piece of equipment that stood almost as tall as he. "Designed to be used with both depleted uranium shells and exploding incendiary shells. This weapon can destroy all but the most heavily armored opponents."

"What the hell is that!?!"

The smaller girl blocks them out at this point, circling around the coffin in the center of the room. She didn't understand what the Draculina saw wrong with it. It looked perfectly suitable for sleeping, comfortable even, in comparison to the stone cold floor. Ah, but perhaps her tastes were a bit skewed. 

"Miss Mari." The voice of the butler draws her back from her thoughts. "I don't believe you've ever used a gun before, so I took the liberty of designing a set of small silver blades for your use." Gesturing for her to come over, he pulls out a small wooden box and opens it for her, revealing the thin shiny pieces of metal of various shapes and sizes. "Each one weighs no more than 50 grams and are highly flexible for maximum usage." He gestures to a couple with darker edges. "These have a light casing of dulled metal and rubber to use as grips."

Mari simply nods and takes the box, inspecting each blade individually. She had learned many things over her years, but using these seemed... impractical given her abilities. Perhaps she could use then as small projectiles.

Mari jolts up, her systems suddenly on high alert. From the look of things, Alucard had sensed it, too. 

Something was coming. Something with an intent to kill everyone inside the building.


	11. XI: Siege

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are certainly becoming exciting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of chapter 9, Mari’s eyes have changed a little. They are still mostly blue, but now have specks of brown and red in them.

Lights flickered as the sounds of screams and gunfire echo from the floors above. Mari scampers around the space of the room with a manic energy while the others ready themselves for movement. At one point, she bumps into the young Draculina, causing the large chested woman to stumble slightly. Walter picks up the phone as it rings once. Sir Integra was on the other line.

" _What's your position, Walter?_ " she asks in a surprisingly calm tone.

"Miss Victoria's room in the sub basement," he answers immediately. "I've already been brought up to speed on the situation. Outside communications've been cut off, so I wouldn't be expecting reinforcements for at least four hours, or maybe five. In the mean time, our current forces have been ordered to defend the conference room with their lives."

" _What do you recommend?_ "

"Well for starters, please fortify the door to the conference room. Since Alucard, Miss Victoria and Miss Mari are with me down in the sub basement, I purpose we divide into two teams. Alucard will head upstairs while the girls and myself make our way to the conference room."

Mari growls in disapproval of this plan. What if Alucard needed assistance? Not that she though he would, the teams just seemed unequal. She glances over at the elder vampire for an explanation. He simply gives her a grin and shakes his head. Padding over to him, she looks up with a curious gaze.

"You know your way around the building through the vents," he murmurs as he crouches to her level. "The fastest route to the conference room and back. Just make sure the area is secure before returning."

Mari nods and wanders back to the other members in the room as Walter hangs up the phone.

"By your orders then, Sir Integra."

"Oh, does Walter Dornez the Angel of Death ride again?" Seras looks at her master with confusion and looks between the two.

"Come on, what're you two talking about?"

"You'll see soon enough."

"Hm." Walter grips his chin mischievously. "Put the Veteran and the Rookies together and you may as well have one normal solider." He gives a chuckle, followed by one from Alucard.

"This could actually end up being fun," says the elder before disappearing into the shadows.

"Makes ya wonder, doesn't it –" Mari looks at the Draculina as she grits her teeth in annoyance, "– if any normal people work in this place."

"Right then," Walter turns to the females. "Miss Mari, if you wouldn't mind leading the way."

Nodding, the mostly-blue eyed girl scrambles towards one of the air shaft openings and pries the covering off before crawling inside.

~•~•~•~

To say that the airways were tight would be an understatement. The trio had to stop nearly three times for Seras to become unstuck. If they were not so pressed for time, Mari would have found it hilarious. 

As they approached the conference room, Mari speeds across the vent without causing it to open. From below, she could hear members of the Round Table in a slight panic, though she ignored them for the most part. As the other two came closer, it was decided that Seras would go first so if she got stuck again they could push her through.

"We're all going to die," spoke one member as Seras began squeezing her way past. The panel fell and hit someone, presumably the one who was in the most distress. He gave a shout of pain. "It's a... It's a... bottom...?"

Mari rolled her eyes as Seras slipped through the small opening, landing on the man. Walter was quick to follow, albeit landing gracefully on the table with his hands and propelling himself to his feet. The dark haired female crawled out of the gap, digging her nails into the ceiling panels as she shimmied her way to a wall to get down.

"Seras! Walter! Mari!" Sir Integra spoke with relief.

"I do apologize for the delay," Walter addressed, walking towards the woman. Seras gave a sheepish greeting as Mari's hands brushed the floor, having scaled the wall all the way down.

She closes her eyes and clears her thoughts, reaching out with her expanded sensory capabilities to get a clear layout as to where the attackers were. Unsurprisingly, one group in particular was heading towards the room.

"The plan is as follows, Sir Integra," the butler's commanding voice broke her concentration, bringing her back to the present. "Alucard will intercept our attackers in the sub levels. The girls and I will secure this floor." A faint glint appear from his fingers, and it took her a moment to clearly identify the numerous wires laced to each one. "Your standing orders will be followed to the letter. I promise that not one of these villains will ever see the light of day again. Now with your permission, Sir, I believe it's time I gave these young people a proper lesson in violence."

~•~•~•~

Mari watched Walter patiently from her position. Honestly, if he was as good as Integra believed him to be, there was no point in her being up here.

"Oh dear, did I miss?" he spoke mockingly, even though he had just dispatched at least three ghouls. "I'm not as spry as I used to be." He continued walking closer to the assailant. "My name is Walter Dornez, butler to the Hellsing family and former master vampire hunter."

"Fire!" the panicked vampire ordered the ghouls, though it didn't seem to matter as Walter wasn't even so much as grazed when he dashed towards them, killing a couple more while he was at it.

"Bit on the slow side, aren't they? After all, a ghoul is just a ghoul; in theory, threatening, certainly tenacious, but honestly, they're quite a distance from being indestructible." Another sharp tug sent more pieces flying in a bloodied mess. "I highly recommend pissing yourself, followed by a course of praying to your impudent God."

At this, the vampire began laughing hysterically. Mari took his momentary distraction to, once again, scale the wall and into the ceiling, maneuvering to get closer. At the sound of Seras's cannon shot exploding and a second being fired, she kicked down on the panel, dislodging it, landing her in front of the charging vampire. Having effectively startled him, she prepared for the impact only to have her arm slammed in to by one of his automatic weapons. Digging her feet into the floor proved futile in keeping herself in place, the momentum he had pushing her back several meters as she held strong in her stance. She met his crazed yellow eyes with a steely gaze, the corner of her mouth twitching upward at the confusion and anger she knew was growing. After all, she looked so small and fragile, so it would be shocking to have her meet heavy blows head on. Granted, her bones and muscles were screaming at her with pain and she most likely had at least a fracture or sprain from the force of the impact.

Her eyes darted to the barrel of the gun as it pressed closer to her face, obviously preparing to fire. However, before it was able to do so, she alleviated pressure on her feet just slightly, causing her body to dip downward, nails digging into the cloth of his uniform as she sideswiped out of his path. Knowing that his eyes were attempting to follow her as she moved, she spun behind him and launched herself off his back to the ceiling, quickly clamoring back up the way she came just as Seras tackled him to the ground. She let out a sigh of relief, surprised she had actually managed to pull that off. 

Cradling her shoulder, she bit down on her tongue, the pain indicating that she had indeed pulled it from its socket. Taking another deep breath, she swiftly snapped it back into place, letting out a soft whimper and hiss of pain as she did so. The man's laughter caught her attention as the ache began fade into a dull throb.

"Wow, you're quick!" he said to Walter. "Right now, big brother Valentine is downstairs beating Alucard into a carpet stain!"

By the time he finished his sentence, Mari was long gone.


	12. XII: Remains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is much still to learn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, the way Mari moves around in this chapter is reminiscent of Kayoko Saeki from The Grudge series (ie wide limbs, slow movement, odd posture)

It didn't take long to reach the basement level. When she did arrive, however, Mari was surprised at the lack of action taking place. As quietly as possible, she removed the vent cover, knowing that it did not go unnoticed by both vampires present. Peeking out a little, she caught glimpse of the new vampire. He had long pale blonde hair and wore round spectacles over green eyes. The most peculiar thing about him, though, was his choice of attire: a white suit, a laughable selection given the blood he undoubtedly spilled clearing a path to the No Life King’s throne room. 

While the girl had been observing him, he had in turn been observing her. He was surprised that he had not heard her approach sooner. Alucard let out a hum of impatience, drawing the young vampire's attention back to himself.

"When I was human," he continued, "I feared you, the stories anyway. And when I gave up being human, when I became this, I began to admire you. You, the first great pioneer of immortality. No matter what the rest of us do, really we're all just chasing your shadow."

"That's ridiculous," answered the No Life King with a chuckle. "You fool. There's no such thing as immortal."

"Yes, I know. And once I have your head on a stick, everyone else will know it, too." At this, Mari let a low rumbling growl slip from her throat.

_**Calm yourself, Little One**_ , came the soothing voice of her master in her mind, causing her momentary anger to taper off into nothingness. _**This one may be a worthy opponent, but he will not defeat me as easily as he thinks.**_

A glass of wine slips from the table as the younger vampire lunges, his gun pointed to the elder's head while Alucard's aimed at his. As the glass shatters on the stone floor, both weapons go off, the recoil and impact sending the blonde flying across the room. Alucard begins to chuckle from his slumped position on his throne, the other joining in the laughter. The white suited man then began to fire at him in rapid succession, each bullet making their mark, causing Alucard to slump more before retaliating. Surprisingly, the former dodges every shot. 

"You've never seen anything like me before. I was designed to surpass you in every way! I was born to be your death!" He lunges again at the No Life King, jumping back when the latter fired again straight at his chest. Several more rounds past him until one collides with a protruding stone, causing it to explode. "A pistol... did _that?_ " He stares in terror and shock. " _Jesus._ "

"Your reflexes are amazing," Alucard speaks, a chuckle slipping from him.

"I told you, I'm completely different from any creature you've ever faced before! I have the subtotal of all your vampiric powers combined! And more." He aims his weapon at the king, who lets out a whistle. 

_**Vain little creature, isn't he?**_ Mari chortles softly at her master's humor, briefly reminding the artificial vampire of her presence. His gaze shifts to her as his weapon follows suit.

"Not to mention our little... guest would make for a fine addition to your head as a trophy."

Alucard's grin grew larger in amusement. Slowly, the girl crawls out, the blonde's aim following her as she slinks towards the throne, her now cold gaze locking with his. A twisted sneer works its way upon her face before she lowers it to the floor, lapping at the mix of blood and wine spilled there. It sent chills down the young vampire’s spine, the fact that this little thing seemed to take pleasure in his struggle. Impulsively, he fired a single round. However, it never reached its target. He watched in horror as the pellet seemed to explode in midair before the pieces scattered across the room.

"What the..." his statement is cut off as Alucard begins shooting again, to which he returns fire. The No Life King gives a dark chuckle.

"Yes. Excellent! I haven't had this much fun in ages!" Alucard cackles, raising his rapidly healing head. "What did you say your name was?"

"It's Luke," the blonde hesitates. "Luke Valentine."

"Luke Valentine. It is obvious that your power is beyond even the highest category of vampire." His gloved hands begin to glow a deep crimson as he brings them up. "Releasing Systems Control under Systems 3, 2, 1. Approval of Situation A recognized. Commencing the Cromwell Invocation. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until enemy has been rendered silent."

Mari watches in amazement as darkness spreads around his body, multiple enormous red eyes opening from within it to stare at the younger. It reminded her that there was still much she had to learn about the elder vampire. 

"Now, Luke Valetine, it's time to educate you on how a real vampire does battle!"

The monstrous heads of canines come forth from the shadows, maws opened wide as they rush the blonde. He screams and tries to make an escape, evading the beasts as they come at him. He makes around towards the exit only for a hand with the Jackal to appear from one of the many mouths and shoot his leg clean off at the knee. Still he hobbles on, Alucard, followed by Mari, trailing closely behind him. Another shot, another leg down, another wail of pain as he rolls to the bottom of the steps, letting out a nervous and terrified chuckle.

"What are you?" he demands, backing away on his hands. "What in the Hell are you?!"

"Come on!" Alucard yells in response. "Get up! Fight me! You've only suffered the loss of your legs! Summon up your familiars! Transform your body! Heal your severed legs and stand! The evening's just begun." He proceeds to crush on of the discarded limbs with his bare hand, causing blood, muscle, and bone tissue to splatter. "Come on, **fight me! Hurry! Hurry! Pull yourself together!** The fun has just begun. Come on, **hurry!** "

" ** _MONSTER!_** " At the terrified screech, Alucard's facial expression falls to disappointment, the canines dissipating to show his form. 

"So, I see you for what you really are now! You're pathetic! A useless, sniveling lump of meat!"

"Shut up! You're nothing but the Hellsing Family toy! A dog for the Curch of England, not even fit to call yourself a vampire! A – !"

" ** _SILENCE!_** " The No Life King's booming voice effectively shuts the blonde up. "If I'm a dog," he starts, his smirk returning as the canine beast reforms, "you're dog food."

Mari closes her eyes, watching as the blurred forms move and the canine tears the artificial vampire to shreds, bodily pieces scattering as they are devoured. She flinches ever so slightly as some of the blood splashes on her face, but does not move from her spot until she can no longer sense the man's presence. 

"Is that all you had?" His tone bordered on disgust and disappointment. "Such a shame I overestimated you. As a vampire, you were just a pathetic piece of shit. Now you're nothing but dog shit."

The two remain in silence for a moment as the blood is cleared from the floor. Subconsciously, the girl's tongue darts out to wet her drying lips, waiting patiently for any directions or orders. Instead, she is surprised as a pair of surprisingly warm hands come to rest on each side of her face, hot breath against her forehead as her master removes the blood that had splashed there. It left an odd tingling sensation along the skin where his saliva touched, not necessarily a bad feeling, just a strange one.

She holds still as the blood is cleansed from her skin, a serene calm washing over her. Shadows circulated around the hallway, brushing against her every now and again. She was almost tempted to reach out and touch one, curious as to how it had a physical form. She understood that they were familiars – she recollected reading about such creatures while the hospital had still been open – but questioned how they were made of shadows rather than an actual animal. She supposed it was due to Alucard's abilities.

"You are quite the little troublemaker," the vampire chuckled, receiving a cheeky grin from his ward. He ran his thumb across her cheek for a moment before moving his hand atop her head, giving it a light pat before standing. "Now, let's head upstairs to see if they've left any fun for us."


	13. XIII: Birds of a Feather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hellsing Organization is in need of new ranks amidst the raid on their headquarters.

Mari listens to the new soldiers from her hiding spot inside the vent. She didn't like them very much. They smelled odd and wore strange clothing, but who was she to judge; she basically wore a straitjacket without a latch.

"Captain Bernadette, the Hell is this?" one of the more skeptical men of the group asks. A grunt sounds and she assumes that was their leader.

"Sooo, what?" another starts up. "Are we gonna be fighting in London?"

"Since when do we work security jobs?"

"I didn't sign up to shadow some rich asshole!"

"My God, you people," a strange sounding voice says with a chuckle. That must be the leader. "I really can't think of any other way to put this so here it is. They're going to be paying us to kill monsters."

"They're paying us to do what?" Some of the men laugh.

"Monsters? You gotta be kidding me!"

"It's true." The commanding voice of Sir Integra enters the room. Mari shrinks back slightly, weary of being caught and possibly reprimanded. The men fall silent. "The enemies are immortal creatures that sustain themselves by drinking human blood. Your job, gentlemen, is to fight these monsters using bullets, garlic, and holy water. Put a stake through its heart, cut off its head, burn the corpse, scatter the ashes at a crossroads. For further instructions, consult Bram Stoker."

Stoker, Stoker... she’d heard that name before, but from where... Ah! That had been the name of the bloke that wrote stories about the great vampires of old!

“That's just ridiculous!"

"Everyone knows there's no such thing as vampires!"

"Then everyone is quite mistaken. Or more accurately, we've helped them to maintain a state of blissful ignorance. For over a century, the Hellsing Organization has served the British empire, fighting a secret war against the forces of darkness, the vampire in particular. For those of you that still need convincing," she points to her right to where Seras was standing, hidden by the shadows, "I present to you, a genuine vampire." The men look and the captain stands up.

"Eh? Oh no," he starts, chuckling as he walks over to her. "Just hold on. You? You're really a vampire?"

"Yes," she answers politely, causing Mari mentally groan. "I am, hello!" After a few moments, the men burst into laughter. Seras' face contorts with confusion. "I get the feeling they're laughing at me, Sir."

"Then show them something to make them stop, Police Girl," the older woman orders.

"Right! Of course, Sir!" Seras snaps her fingers. "Come on." The captain continues to laugh.

"If this is supposed to be a vampire, then I'm Frankenstein's Monster!" he mocks. His laughter this time is cut short as the Draculina delivers a quick series of flicks to his face, throwing him backwards.

"Captain!" one of his men exclaims, the rest too in shock to do anything.

"She's some kind of monster! She kept poking me and the… eh… it all just happened so fast! And my head was just…! I don't believe it, but you're really telling me that girl is a vampire?!"

" ** _Damn right she is_** ," Alucard's voice says as he materializes through the wall. "The Police Girl may be the lowest of the low, but a vampire is still a vampire." Mari holds back a chuckle as the group gasps and backs up slightly in fear. "What a pathetic bunch of sniveling cowards. Do you really think they'll be of any use to us?" He steps out of the wall. All is silent for a moment before...

"Shit! What the Hell was that?!" one of the other men shouts. Mari darts out from under the legs of the men and behind the tall vampire, clinging to him and hiding as a shy child would from strangers. Her eyes were closed so she couldn't clearly see the men, but just their presence was frightening to her. They may not have been as strong or intimidating as Alucard, but she could tell just by the way they held themselves that they were skilled combatants. She whines softly, burying her face against the red of the vampire’s clothes. Alucard chuckles as Walter comes running in.

"My deepest apologies, Ma'am!" he says quickly, slightly out of breath. "I did try to stop him."

"These men are going to be guarding me while I sleep," the No Life King states, his hand coming to rest on Mari's head. "I wanted to take their measure and by the looks of it, they have absolutely no sense." He rubs her hair soothingly as she lets out a soft cooing noise. The captain looks between the two vampires, the girl, the butler, and Sir Integra. Walter turns to Integra.

"Now that introductions are over," he begins, pulling something from his pocket, "a most unusual letter arrived in the post today."

"What sort of letter?" Integra inquires, taking said letter from him. Her face became sour. "From Vatican Special Operations, Division XIII, the Iscariot Organization." Mari began to tremble again. "Enrico Maxwell."

~•~•~•~

Mari let out a soft whine as Walter, once again, adjusted the collar of her new clothing. It wasn't anything extravagant, just a semi-formal dress Integra had requested she wear for the time being. She understood that her usual attire would draw unwanted attention from onlookers, but it didn't give her any comfort to be in something so... restricting.

"Come now, Miss Mari," the butler chastises as she tries to pull it loose again. "The sooner you cooperate, the less irritating it will become."

She pulls away and crosses her arms, obviously disliking the situation. She glances through the thick tinted sunglasses – courtesy of Alucard’s request – to stare at one of the pieces of art. It looked to be a sort of archway along the sea, but she didn't care to pay much more attention than that. The sounds of chatter and footsteps drew her attention back to her keepers, as she had wandered only slightly. As she made her way back, her body stiffens as two men were approaching her group. She gives a small gulp before coming to stand behind Walter, peering at the men.

"I think we're a bit late," the taller says, looking sheepishly at his colleague, who agrees with his statement. "Oh dear, so sorry to keep you wait – "

"That's close enough," Integra interrupts in a commanding tone, making the man stop in his tracks. "What business does the Vatican have here, and why send the Iscariots, the dirtiest of their dirty little secrets?"

"How unfortunate," the man begins, removing his glasses. "It seems our reputation has preceded us. Allow me to introduce myself." He makes a small bow. "My name is Enrico Maxwell. I am the Head of the Iscariot Organization. It really is an honor to meet you."

"I really don't care who you are," Integra interrupts. "Just tell me what you want."

"There is no need to take such a harsh tone." The lanky man waves his hand in defense. "We didn't come all the way to England to pick a fight with you, Sir Integra."

"I don't believe you," she says, turning swiftly to face them. "You've done nothing but show contempt for our treaties. This latest incident with Anderson in Northern Ireland was inexcusable. He killed two of my best men in Badrick. I barely managed to escape with my head still attached! And you have the gall — !"

"Would you shut up!" The sound of breaking glass had Mari flinching lightly. She may not have known this man personally, but she knew well enough to keep anyone with that level of influence from getting angry.

"How _dare_ you — "

"You really expect us to just let you do as you please," he continued as if she hasn't spoken. "Two men? If we had slaughtered two million of you Protestant scum, I would not have shed a tear. I'm here under direct orders from His Holiness, otherwise I would not bother with you filthy creatures! So just shut up and pay attention, you miserable English sow!"

" ** _A sow?_** " came the deep baritone of the red clad elder vampire as he exited the wall. "Nothing like Iscariot to inspire the fear of God; such fearsome insults. Two thousand years of your inane prattle. Truly, some things never do seem to change."

"The great vampire Alucard, the Hellsing family's pet creature," Maxwell mocks as Mari goes to the No Life King, coming to stand calmly next to him. "I don't believe I've ever seen you in person before." He gives a shallow bow. "It's a great pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well; and now I must say goodbye." He reaches into his coat pocket for his weapons. "You call my Master a sow and expect me to let you live?" He takes aim. "I'm afraid I'm just going to have to put a bullet in you, you foolish little man."

"Oh, how absolutely terrifying," the man mocks. "How can a man be expected to deal with people who put a gun in his face?"

 _This would be more entertaining without him flapping his gums_ , Mari hums softly to the vampire, ignoring the man as he continued to talk. 

That was, until he snapped. Dread instantly began coursing through her veins as a familiar stench filled the air.

"ANDERSON!" Maxwell bellowed like a summon.

Mari let out a strangled groan and moved back a bit more as her uncle began his rant. She had always hated his preaching, even before everything that had happened.

"No, Anderson! Stop!" Her head snapped back at the panicked tone of Maxwell.

"Though His Wrath be kindled but a little," his booming voice echoed. "This can be over with one swing of my sword." Alucard began chuckling as they approached one another. Mari moved to stand behind Sir Integra. "Iscariot does not shirk when the enemy presents itself!"

Alucard removes his shades as his hat flies off from some unseen wind. Both former humans stand, weapons drawn and ready, all the while the elder is laughing.

"Neither of us could ever back down in front of an enemy." Anderson's cackling joins the cacophony of sound. "Come on then, Judas Priest!"

"You won't be so lucky this time, vampire!"

"Stop!" Maxwell continues to shout. "I'm ordering you to stop!"

"Hiii~!" comes the sudden cheery voice of a certain Draculina. Mari lets out yet another sigh, though this time with relief. "Right this way, everybody!"

_ What the Hell? What is she...? Is she actually leading an elderly Japanese tourist group? Right down the center of a war zone? Good grief, Victoria. _

"This isn't the time or place for a fight," Alucard says, withdrawing his weapons.

"Yes, you may have a point," Anderson agrees.

"I'm going back to sleep," the elder vampire says as he begins to walk away, Mari following closely behind him. "Getting up in the middle of the day is exhausting." He pauses and looks back at the young girl. Giving a little huff of reluctance, he allows her to come closer as he begins to enter the shadows, his coat draping over her as they disappear.


	14. XIV: Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is very wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that this chapter relies on bits of the original lore in addition to some fictional historical figures.

He knew something was wrong the moment they made it back to the mansion.

The girl now lay sprawled before him, having fallen quite suddenly upon arrival, her small form quivering violently as she seems to struggle for breath. He kneels next to her, his gloved hand reaching to press flush to her forehead. Even if his body no longer produced the heat required of human life, the evident and drastic change in her body's temperature was unsettling. It came off her in waves, as if it were unable to stabilize itself, leaving her at the mercy of her quaking body.

Alucard swiftly scoops the girl up and heads directly to his chambers, knowing it would be some time before the others would be back. Once there, he sat himself upon his throne, gently cradling her upon his lap. Her heartbeat was ringing in his ears, drumming much too rapidly. 

Over his long life, he had encountered situations similar to this, though never so extreme. One in particular that stood out to him was a incident with a former rival of his back in the 18th century. Crina Damîn, one of the first in the line of independent female vampires, who was a great admirer of his work against the Ottoman Empire, had been attempting to gather together other women who felt oppressed and abused and turn them into vampires. Of course, he only learned of her through hearsay, the Doamna Roșu as she was known.

He had come to find her by following a trail of disappearing housewives and maids, which she had attempted to make like herself, with no success. One method she had used was to feed her own vampiric blood to the girls and women, which led to a powerful, but short-lived band of creatures that were neither human nor monster. In her fruitless efforts, Crina had driven herself to the cusps of death at the thirst of her own creations. Removing her from the area had seemed to drive the former humans into a frenzy, turning to feast upon one another and foaming at the mouths, some with hearts going so fast they ended up bursting from strain, while the rest seemed to boil alive from the inside out.

Shaking himself from his memories, Alucard reminded himself that this wasn't the same scenario. Mari likely hadn't been human for over a decade, thus would react differently, not to mention the blood had been introduced directly into her veins rather than being ingested. He'd need to act quickly.

Blood. That's what had kept those creatures alive, so would the same work for her? He didn’t have time to be second guessing himself. Shifting her weight to his left side, Alucard tears loose the collar of her clothing and raises his wrist to his lips to pierce the skin. The stench of his own blood fills the air as he release his now bleeding wrist. Pooling the crimson liquid in his hand, he glances down to the girl in his arms, the thundering beat of her heart echoing deafeningly in his ears. Sweat beaded her face and glistened along her now exposed neckline, her ebony locks clinging to her moistened skin at random, eyes half-lidded in a haze, lips parted ever-so-slightly as heated air left her. Like this, she seemed so small, so fragile, so... Human.

"Little One," he whispers gently to her and receives only a softly strained snivel from the girl as her eyes attempt to open up more. He lets the hand supporting her drag gently across the heated skin of her face and she leans in to his cool touch. His unbeating heart aches at the sight. Briefly he wonders, what would become of this little thing if she too was driven mad by bloodlust. Bringing his other hand above her lips, he lets slip one word.

"Drink."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is that last chapter I uploaded to the original posting, so from here on out, everything will be new. Expect slower updates as I’ll be taking my time to go through the series to make my story accurate. I apologize in advance.


	15. XV: Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something lost, something learned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally after 3 years I have finally written a new chapter. The original draft was lost so I had a hard time rewriting it to my satisfaction, but I feel like this version is more... raw. 
> 
> Warnings for this chapter include mentions of child abuse, neglect, forced experimentation, and PTSD hallucinations.

_Pale blue eyes snap open only to quickly shut as they begin to burn. Small lungs try desperately to grasp for air that simply isn’t there. She struggles to move, feeling tired and heavy, but she must move._

_Feeling about, fingers brush against something sharp. A wheezing hiss of pain as crimson liquid falls from the skin. Gently, gently, feel a piece of cloth, a blanket perhaps? Wrap the wounded spot, cover the face and mouth. It’s hard to breathe._

_A cold draft, a broken window? Go there! Quickly! Time is running out!_

_Stumbling, stumbling, crawling...._

_F_  
_A_  
_L_  
_L_  
_I_  
_N_  
_G _  
__

.  
.  
.  
.  
.

_____ _

_Something cold, wet. Snow? Breathing. Sweet relief._

_She removes her covering, staring wide eyed at the blazing sight before her. Burning tears threaten to fall._

_She cries out a single word into the night...._

 

“ _MAMA!_ ”

She awakens with a jolt, crying out as her vision fades from the images in her mind. For a moment, she does not remember anything at all and silently weeps. Had she finally been driven mad by the flames that danced within her head?

Slowly, she becomes aware of a pressure around her, of a presence of another holding her close. Though she could hear no heartbeat but her own, the rhythm of steady breath soothed her agitated consciousness, the colorful visions of things long past fading to the back of her mind as she listened to that steady motion. 

Alucard shifted his grip on the small female, cradling her close to him, running his fingers soothingly through her hair. He had not seen all of what ran through her muddled mind as she remained in her restless state, but he could piece together what he had seen to understand that it was more than just a simple hellish fever dream – the feeling of smoke filling the air, of suffocating and burning, it had been far too vivid to a dream; a twisted nightmare of a memory perhaps? That was the most plausible conclusion. 

The vampire inhaled her scent, the potent taste of fear and agony fading as the tension left her body. He, too, felt himself relaxing as he held her. It was a strange feeling, one he was not sure he had felt in a long time, if ever. It was... not unpleasant. 

He remains silent as he practically hears her thoughts racing and, as jumbled as they may be, it is reassuring to know she is still there. He hears her swallow thickly, as if trying to clear a nonexistent blockage of some sort, and attempt to speak aloud.

“ _I-I..._ ” she whispers softly, unable to find the words. “ _I-I’m..._ ”

 _ ~~paenitet~~_ _~~saucius~~_ _~~fractus~~_

“Hush now, Little One,” he soothes, running a hand down her arm in attempted comfort. “You are not in any danger now. You are safe.”

They continued to sit there in silence for a while longer, the thundering pulse of Mari’s heart slowly coming down from its adrenaline induced rampage. It did, eventually, reach a steady rhythm as the images faded from her awareness. The vampire remained silent, which she was grateful for. Her thoughts regained their structure, calmer now that her heart had slowed. Unease, while much softer in her mind, had drawn questions. She knew of her mental connection with the No Life King, knew of his power, which drew a worried expression to her face. Eventually, she asked,

_ What did you see...? _

“Very little,” Alucard spoke gently, continuing to stroke her hair. “That had been your home, hadn’t it?”

She nods slowly, _F-from before..._ She shudders, more images flashing through her mind, unconsciously broadcasting them to the vampire. 

_Bright lights that blinded her sight..._  
_Leather straps that held her tight..._  
_Silver tools that cut open flesh that had only begun to heal..._  
_Sharp needles that led to searing pain..._

A young Anderson by her side as she healed from each process, reading her the scriptures of God, telling her she was to be made a weapon of His Justice, that she would be God’s hand in the fight against the monsters of the world.

“Before Iscariot,” he finished, a grim expression making its way to his face. The bitter taste of betrayal crossed his mind. Here had been this gifted child who had just lost all she had ever known and her only family had thrown her to the wolves in the name of “Divine Justice” and once they had no more use for her, she was thrown away like a worn out rag. 

But she was here now, despite what they had done to her, living and breathing as if to defy them. 

_What happened to me?_ Her voice drew him from his thoughts. He glances down at her as she fiddles with the ruined fabric of her collar.

“You collapsed,” he responded honestly. He kept silent about his hypothesis about _why_ she had done so. She didn’t need more to worry about right now. She makes a soft noise of understanding, pulling free the loose threads that irritated her skin. “The others will be returning shortly. Why don’t we get you cleaned up.”

Mari nods and, with the vampire’s help, manages to stand and make her way to her quarters. Alucard mulled over his thoughts as he waited for her to return, as he knew she would. What would his Master think of this new found information, he wondered...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re migrating here from the old site, be sure to check the previous chapters posted here to see what’s changed!
> 
> Translations  
> paenitet - sorry  
> saucius - wounded  
> fractus - broken
> 
>  
> 
> So be honest. How many of you were surprised to discover Mari used to a belong to the Vatican? As a weapon, no less.


	16. XVI: Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like these next two chapters come off as rather comical in comparison to others. I blame my serotonin increase for the added silliness. 
> 
> And the Frenchman of course.

When the others had returned to the mansion, Alucard went to address Sir Integra on his findings. The fact that they held in their possession a former weapon of Iscariot had surprised the woman. Seems like the Vatican had kept many secrets over the centuries that even they were unwilling to share until now.

“I assume you’ve heard the news?” Walter says as Alucard leaves Integra’s office. The butler stared out at the night sky with a wary gaze. 

“Yes,” the No Life King responded. Indeed he had learned of what the Catholics had shared with his master. 

“The Nazis again,” Walter sighed with exasperation. “It’s unbelievable, but now here we are, fifty years later.”

Alucard hums in agreement. “Is it really that surprising?” To be entirely honest, it wasn’t. “I had a feeling they were involved. This whole mess feels very familiar.”

“Oh?” Walter turned to look at the vampire, raising an eyebrow. “And why is that?”

“Why’s that?” Alucard repeated, a grin spreading across his face. “You’re asking why after all we’ve been through. There’s not a lot of people willing to enlist the undead to do their fighting. There’s you; there’s them; and then there’s me.” He tips his head forward as he continues to speak. “We assumed their undead research institute was completely destroyed over fifty years ago during the war. We killed every last Nazi we found, don’t you remember?”

Silence followed for a moment before Walter spoke, “Oh yes, we did, didn’t we. God it’s been ages.”

“Growing old seems so awful,” Alucard remarks with slight amusement.

Walter lets out a soft laugh. “Nonsense. Curmudgeonism is a traditional pleasure for English gentlemen.” A pause. “Alucard, we’re sending you to South America. We’re not the sort of people used to backing down, especially when someone has clearly tried to pick a fight.”

“Huh. That is a very British attitude,” Alucard said in jest. “Perhaps some discretion might serve you better.”

“If something can be achieved easily, it probably isn’t worth it.”

The vampire hums again as the door opens behind him. He glances back at his master. 

“Good evening,” she greets. “Has Walter explained the situation?” Alucard turns to face her, giving a hum of confirmation. “My orders are simple: search and destroy. Now go.”

The No Life King removes his hat and takes a bow, “Whatever you wish... My Master.” As the blonde woman left, Alucard glances back at Walter. “I suppose I should prepare for the trip.”

~•~•~•~•~

The concept of flight still amazed the raven haired woman as she pressed her face to the glass window, watching the world as it became smaller and smaller until it disappeared behind a blanket of clouds. The roar of the engine was loud in her ears at first, but she had managed to block it out after the first hour or so. She fidgeted in her seat across the aisle from Alucard who sat facing the leader of the new forces Hellsing had acquired, Pip if she remembered correctly. Said man was reading a newspaper and eying the vampire warily. And his thoughts, good graces his thoughts were like a never-ending broadcast of drivel. She ignored him for the most part, though.

Instead, she chose to focus on Seras’ voice that slipped up through the floor. She had made, and was still making, quite a fuss about being kept in a coffin for transportation.

_Oh Victoria! I wish you could see it!_ Mari teased. _The world looks so soft and bouncy!_

That made the Draculina whine loudly in frustration. “You’re so mean, Mari! It’s not fair! Please open this thing! Let me out!”

“So, erm, Marie, was it?” Pip’s voice draw her back to the current area. She glances over at him through tinted goggles. “You are not a vampire, no?” She shakes her head that no she is not a vampire. At this point, Alucard had set his wine down, quietly observing the two. The human became nervous. “A-ah, I see.”

He stays quiet for the remainder of the flight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should be up to a regular schedule starting this week. Updates will be either Monday’s or Wednesday’s depending how swamped I am with school.
> 
> Any and all feedback is appreciated!


	17. XVII: Welcome to Rio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New sights, new sounds.  
> Curiosity abound.

The ride to the extravagant hotel they would be staying at was quiet, if a bit awkward given how Pip kept trying to avoid catching the elder vampire’s gaze. Mari, on the other hand, had pretty much plastered her face to the window of the limousine, staring in awe at the sights of this new land. Alucard couldn’t help smiling at her enthusiasm and curiosity. It was reminiscent of a small child going to a theme park for the first time.

When they pulled up to the magnificent hotel, Alucard let himself out of the car and held out a hand for Mari, which she took gratefully as she stepped out of the limousine. Her attire this time around was much less restrictive in her opinion, being a simple dress without the scratchy cuffs or lace. She even got her own little sun hat!

They entered the building, Alucard at the lead followed closely by Mari and Pip who trailed further behind as he directed the staff that carried the two coffins. While the young Draculina herself could not see anything, Mari made sure to share what she saw with her. It really was a beautiful place. 

Alucard approaches the front desk. “Brenner. I believe I have a suite.”

The desk clerk seemed nervous. “Y-yes sir, Mr. Brenner, thank you.” He flips through the registry and spots the listing. “I have your reservation right here. The Penthouse has been prepared for you.”

_Penthouse?!_ came Mari’s thoughts. Alucard smiles down at the girl, who grins back brightly. 

“Over here!” Pip shouts to the staff as they carry the coffins in. “Come on, this way!”

“You can bring that up to the penthouse, please,” The No Life King instructed. 

“Right, you got it,” the mercenary responds, giving a thumbs up. He turns back to the men carrying the vampires’ coffin, motioning then to follow him. “Hey! You heard! That goes up to the penthouse!”

“Excuse me, sir?” the clerk pipes up, leaning over the counter to get a better look at what is being brought in. “I-is that your luggage?” The young man blinks in disbelief. “I-I’m sorry, sir, but this hotel doesn’t allow such... large personal belongings...”

_Well why the heck not?_ Mari interjects, knowing her words won’t be heard by the humans around them. 

_What’s going on?_ came Seras’s thoughts.

_Well looks like we won’t be able to keep you here, Victoria_ , the psychic jokes. _You’re too big._

_WHAT?!_

_**Settle down, you two**_ , Alucard commands. _**I’ll handle this.**_

“Th-the hotel can’t be held responsible if something –“

“It’s fine,” Alucard says, interrupting the clerk.

Said young man begins backing up, likely ready to grab the phone behind the counter. “I-I’m sure I just have to call my...” Alucard leans closer, his eyes beginning to glow. “I-it’s just... your luggage looks a bit...”

Mari watched in fascination as the elder vampire lifted his hand, pointing at the clerk as the human’s eyes became red. Softly, he spoke. “Enough. Everything is fine.”

“Nhg... Everything... Everything is fine...” the clerk repeated slowly. Slowly, Alucard withdrew his hand.

“Everything’s perfectly fine.”

“Yes, sir... Everything is perfectly fine...”

_Well that’s different_ , Mari pipes up. Hypnosis, huh? She vaguely recalls reading that it was a supposed trait of powerful vampires somewhere. 

“Good,” Alucard says, beginning to walk towards the elevator. “Now hurry up with my bags.”

“Yeah, fine,” Pip replies, sweating nervously. He glances at the still entranced clerk, beginning to mutter to himself. “What the hell was that? Like magic? Or maybe he has some kind of... evil love beam or something?” 

Mari snickers softly, following after the No Life King. It was quite hilarious to listen in on Pip’s musings. The man was so far in the dark he didn’t even know what way was up.

~•~•~•~•~•~

When they reached the penthouse, Mari immediately ran for the windows, taking a peek from behind the darkened curtains to get a brief glimpse of the city. Even from way up here, it was still so breathtaking. 

“What is this?” Pip’s voice draws her back. She quickly closes the curtains. “My hotel is a trash heap on the edge of town...” The human throws his hands up in irritation. “Hoh, the in-e-qui-ty! Damn you, Bourgeoisie! Damn you!”

“Cheap hotels can be extremely charming,” Alucard says, interrupting the Frenchman’s complaining. 

“Is that so...” he replies disbelievingly.

Mari skitters around the room, apathetic to the human’s displeasure. Cheap hotels were probably way nicer than abandoned asylums. Eventually, she plops herself down on the couch, rubbing her fingers against the fine material. 

_Hey, Mari?_ Seras nearly whispers her thoughts. The raven haired girl leans over the armrest, staring down at the wrapped coffin. _Do you think... you could let me out now?_

Mari shook her head. _No can do, Victoria. It’s still daylight out and you are not able to withstand the sun._

_Damnit...._ the young vampire pouts. 

While they sit there, the men talk about the plan for finding the organization of vampires based in the city, when something catches the vampires’ and psychic’s ears. Someone was outside the room, talking through an earpiece. 

_**That’s most likely the scout sent to notify Millennium that we’ve arrived**_ , Alucard explains. Not many minutes later, Pip moves to leave, saying how they’ll start looking around later when the sun is down. “I can hardly wait.”


	18. XVIII: Let the Games Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Millennium makes their move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay all! I was busy celebrating birthdays! I’m 21 yay!
> 
> Typical warnings for this chapter.

Oddly enough, Seras managed to fall asleep in her coffin at some point and was having a rather unusual dream. Alucard and Mari had already changed their clothing as the sun had fallen, so the younger was having a peek at the images in the Draculina’s head.

 _It’s a shame we can’t let her sleep longer_ , Mari quips, stretching out her limbs. The noise from outside the building was becoming unbearable. _She’s having such colourful visions. They are so funny._

Alucard merely hums in acknowledgment before lifting the lid of the coffin. “Wake up.”

Seras stares up at him blearily for a moment before blinking the sleep from her eyes. “Oh... Hello. Good morning.”

_ Seriously. _

“Good evening,” the No Life King responds. “There’s something interesting going on.”

Just as Seras sits up, the room goes dark. “Huh? The light’s gone out.” The Draculina then notices a noise coming from outside the window. “What? That sounds just like...” A helicopter pulls into view of the window, its bright light shining through the Now opened curtains. Seras runs towards the windows. “What? What!” She looks down. “Oh my God.” Below the towering height of the hotel sit hundreds if not thousands of police and military members. “What the hell is goin’ on?”

 _This whole trip was a farce_ , Mari deadpans nonchalantly. _Not to say it wasn’t expected, but the quiet was nice while it lasted._

“Wha-! Are you for real?!”

The No Life King begins to laugh, his eyes beginning to glow. “Now, it is time for us to go to war!”

_ Whoopie. So exciting. _

~•~•~•~•~•~

Footsteps echo through the halls as the S.W.A.T. Team gets in position outside the penthouse door. There was at least a few dozen of them, all human with heavy artillery. 

_Well, guess I should prepare to make my exit_ , Mari pipes up. Seras glances at the other female with a confused look. Couldn’t she, like, stop bullets or something? Mari shrugs, moving outside the line of sight from the door. _In the event I am shot, I wouldn’t be able to just bounce back from it like the two of you._

“Ah, I guess that makes sense...”

The door bursts open as about a dozen soldiers flood in. One lets out a warcry and begins firing at Alucard, the others quick to follow suit. Unsurprisingly, the elder vampire merely takes the bullets in stride. They are simply human weapons after all. When the barrage of bullets ceases, Alucard slumps to the floor surrounded by his own blood. A few of the soldiers approach him before looking around and moving to leave. 

“Dogs...” the No Life King’s voice causes a few of them to pause. “That was a very good try. However...” As he speaks, the crimson pools begin returning to his body, reforming it. He begins to stand as the humans look on in horror. “...I cannot be killed by dogs.” His grin spreads wide across his face. “It takes a man in order to kill a monster!”

 _How poetic_ , Mari quips from her hiding spot as she watches the bloodshed. Watching as a few of the humans make a run for it, she slams the doors easily. The remaining human starts screaming. _Though I must say, monsters are quite privy to destroying each other._

“Lock the door,” Alucard growls, which the young psychic does so promptly. The human still attempts to open it a few times before facing the monstrous vampire. 

“Ahhh! No!” he wails, raising his pistol. “Monster!”

 _Yes, that was made abundantly clearly_ , Mari sighs as the No Life King makes his way towards the door.

“Yes, people keep telling me that,” he says with a grin, staring down at the cowering man. “And what does that make you who would stand against me, soldier? A man? A dog? A monster.”

The man, being a coward, shoots himself, taking his own life. This surprised Alucard. The No Life King grimaces as the girls come out of their hiding spots.

 _A tad bit dramatic, wouldn’t you say?_ Mari says as she steps around the bodies. _Always with the theatrics._

“Master?” the Draculina pipes up, looking about in slight horror.

“Seras, prepare for battle.” The elder vampire’s tone was heavy, as if he were angered.

“B-But...”

“ **Is there a problem.** Do as you’re told.”

 _Seras._ The stern tone of Mari’s voice causes the Draculina to pause. _Not now._

“Master...” the former human slowly begins to make her way over to the elder vampire. “These people... These are humans...”

“Your point.”

“These people are human beings!”

Alucard growls and grabs Seras by the collar. “I don’t care what these things are! They came here to try and kill us! It no longer matters what they are! Now they must die! They’ll be slaughtered, corpses left to rot in their graves like filth. This is just the way it is. This is what has to be done, and no one has the power to change that! Not God, the Devil, or you!”

“I...” Seras begins to tear up. “I-I know... b-but... they’re just...”

The room is silent for a moment before Alucard releases his grip on the woman’s collar. “This is just the way it is.” He turns away as Mari approaches him. He glances down at her for a moment, a somewhat solemn expression on his face. She stares back at him for a moment, a glimpse of what could almost be sympathy crossing her face before she treads back over to help Seras up. “Come along now, Seras. No time to be a coward.”

“Sorry, sir...” she mumbles as she stands. “Yes, right.”

Alucard pulls out a cellular phone and dials. It rings for a moment before the other line picks up.

“Who is it,” comes the voice of Sir Integra. 

“It’s your humble servant, Sir Integra,” the vampire answers smoothly. “Give me my orders, Master.”

There’s a moment’s pause before she responds, “What did you do to that SWAT team.” The tone in her voice made it clear that she already knew the answer.

“I killed them. I slaughtered them like cattle. There’s not one left standing. Now, all that I require is your orders, Sir Integra. I believe the senior officials of the local police are under Millennium’s control.”

Mari stops listening to the phone call and stretches out her senses. There are still several groups of men left in the halls, all the way to the elevator, more in the stairwell, and some on the floor below. Seems like they really weren’t messing around when it came down to it. 

Alucard’s laugh breaks through her concentration. As jarring as it is to be jolted back to herself, it was important that she stayed alert. 

“The final veil removed!” The elder vampire grins broadly. “This is excellent news indeed. You still know how to inspire my passion, Integra. Then by your orders, my Master. I hope that you enjoy the show.” With that, the phone is clicked off.

“Master?” Seras pipes up. Alucard glances over to her, a manic glee in his eye. The Draculina lets out a soft gasp. 

_I assume we have the go-ahead?_ Mari interjects, flipping through her box of knives. 

“Indeed,” The elder vampire answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you think I made Mari too snarky.


End file.
